FR  O  NTI ER 
BOYS 

IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 


CAPT.WYN  ROOSEVELT 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


FRONTIER   BOYS 

IN   THE 

SOUTH  SEAS 


BY 

CAPT.  WYN  ROOSEVELT 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

RUDOLF  MENCL 


NEW  YORK 

HURST  &  CO.,  Inc. 

PUBLISHERS 


THE  FRONTIER  BOYS 

By  CAPT.  WYN  ROOSEVELT 

This  series  tells  the  adventures  of  Jim,  Joe,  and 
Tom  Darlington,  first  in  their  camp  wagon  as  they 
follow  the  trail  to  the  great  West  in  the  early  days. 
.  They  are  real  American  boys,  resourceful,  humorous, 
and — but  you  must  meet  them.  You  will  find  them 
interesting  company.  They  meet  with  thrilling  ad- 
ventures and  encounters,  and  stirring  incidents  are 
the  rule,  not  exception. 

Historically,  these  books  present  a  true  picture  of 
a  period  in  our  history  as  important  as  it  was  pictur- 
esque, when  the  nation  set  its  face  toward  this  vast 
unknown  West,  and  conquered  it. 

i.  Frontier  Boys  on  Overland  Trail 

2.  Frontier  Boys  in  Colorado 

3.  Frontier  Boys  in  the  Rockies 

4.  Frontier  Boys  in  the  Grand  Canyon 

5.  Frontier  Boys  in  Mexico 

6.  Frontier  Boys  on  the  Coast 

7.  Frontier  Boys  in  Hawaii 

8.  Frontier  Boys  in  the  Sierras 

9.  Frontier  Boys  in  the  Saddle 

10.  Frontier  Boys  in  Frisco. 

11.  Frontier  Boys  in  the  South  Seas 

Illustrated,     12mo,     Cloth 
Price  'per  Volume,  50  Cents 


Copyright.  1912,  by 
The  Platt  &  Peck  Co. 


CONTENTS 

Chapter.  Page, 

I.     An   Encounter 9 

II.     A  Conference 16 

III.  Picking  up  the  Ends     ...     26 

IV.  Buffeted     .      .      .      .      .      .      .30 

V.     Wherein  are  Several  Surprises     42 

VI.  The  Professor's  Story    ...  48 

VII.  The  Storm   King       ....  63 

VIII.  The  Journey  Begun    ....  72 

IX.     A  Plot 87 

X.  At  San  Matteo  Bay      .      .      .94 

XL  On  Board  the  Sea  Eagle     .      .  108 

XII.     Treachery 115 

XIII.  An  Adventure 129 

XIV.  The  Pursuit 143 

XV.  The   Chart 152 

XVI.  The  Island  of  Bohoola       ...  162 
XVII.    The  Hurricane 167 

XVIII.    A  Mysterious  Happening     .      .    177 

XIX.    The  Cave 180 

XX.    Another  Adventure       .      .      .    197 

XXI.    The  Capture ..207 

XXII.    The  .Search 212 

XXIII.  The  Chief  of  Rarihue  .      .      .   224 

XXIV.  On  Board  the  Marjorie     .      .  236 
XXV.    Conclusion 245 


M310430 


FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE 
SOUTH    SEAS 

CHAPTER  I. 

AN    ENCOUNTER. 

Juarez  was  sleepy,  very  sleepy.  He  had  been 
traveling  on  a  railroad  train  for  several  days, 
and  while  ordinarily  he  could  adapt  himself  to 
circumstances,  traveling  by  car  instead  of  having 
a  soothing  influence  as  it  does  with  some,  seemed 
to  .keep  him  awake.  He  was  thoroughly  tired 
out,  and  was  standing,  just  now,  when  our  story 
opens,  on  dark  and  lonesome  dock  in  San 
Francisco. 

He  was  awaiting  the  return  of  Jo  and  Tom 
Darlington,  his  comrades  in  many  trying  and 
nerVe-racking  ventures,  and  he  did  not  observe, 
or  at  least  he  did  not  give  heed  to  a  single,  tall, 
sturdy  figure  quietly  approaching  him  from  the 
back,  but  keeping  the  while  in  the  shelter  of  the 
warehouse  roof  which  cast  a  heavy  shadow  upon 
the  floor  of  the  dock. 

Juarez,  as  we  have  said,  was  sleepy,  so  sleepy 
9 


10         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

that  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  most  desirable 
thing  in  the  world  would  be  to  lie  down  upon  the 
rough  and  knotty  planks  upon  which  he  was 
standing  and  give  himself  up  to  the  drowsiness 
which  was  overpowering  him. 

For  the  time  he  had  entirely  forgotten  Jo's 
last  admonition : 

"Remember,  Captain  Bill  Broome  is  in  town, 
and  he'll  sure  get  you  if  you  don't  watch  out" 

He  had  smiled  grimly  at  the  warning,  visions 
of  some  of  his  experiences  with  the  redoubtable 
captain  passing  through  his  mind,  but  he  had  in 
no  other  way  shown  any  evidence  that  the  words 
of  Jo  had  made  any  impression  upon  him.  Never- 
theless he  had  mentally  promised  himself  to  be 
on  his  guard,  but  the  sleepy  spell  that  he  could 
not  shake  off  put  old  Bill  Broome  and  everything 
else  out  of  his  mind. 

Beside,  how  could  the  captain  know  that  he 
was  in  town  ?  It  would  seem  that  if  he,  the  cap- 
tain, knew  anything  at  all  about  the  whereabouts 
of  the  boys,  he  would  place  them,  Jo  and  Tom 
in  New  York,  and  Juarez  in  Kansas,  for  they  had 
arrived  in  San  Francisco  only  a  few  hours  before 
and  their  visit  too   a  most  unexpected  one. 

Juarez,  the  reader  should  know,  was  a  youth  of 


AN    ENCOUNTER  11 

eighteen,  and  although  the  son  of  American  par- 
ents, he  had  been  stolen  by  Indians  when  a  child 
and  had  been  brought  up  by  them.  He  and  his 
sister  had  been  rescued  by  Jo,  Tom  and  their  elder 
brother  Jim. 

He  had  many  of  the  traits  and  habits  peculiar 
to  the  wild  life  he  had  led  so  long,  and  ordinarily 
could  be  depended  upon  to  be  watchful  and  alert. 
But  to-night,  after  the  long  railroad  journey, 
he  found  himself  in  a  large  city  where  safety 
was  seemingly  assured.  With  the  insistent  desire 
for  sleep  he  relaxed  his  vigilance,  and  was  only 
recalled  to  wakefulness  and  a  recognition  of  his 
surroundings  when  he  felt  himself  suddenly 
seized  and  his  arms  pinned  fast  to  the  rough  wall 
of  the  building  against  which  he  had  been  care- 
lessly leaning. 

We  have  made  some  mention  of  the  early  life 
of  his  comrades,  the  Frontier  Boys,  and  the  reader 
will  likely  wish  to  know  more  about  them.  Jo 
and  Tom  were  twins;  however,  the  former  was 
the  most  active  and  go-ahead,  but  the  real  leader 
in  their  adventures  was  James,  the  elder  brother. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  find  anywhere  a  finer  speci- 
men of  young  manhood  than  James,  better  known 
among  his  friends  as  Jim  Darlington. 


12         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

Tall,  rather  slender  in  build,  but  well  propor- 
tioned, with  muscles  as  hard  and  strong  as  though 
they  were  wrought  of  steel,  he  had  the  strength 
and  quickness  of  a  catamount,  and  was  afraid 
of  nothing,  but  even  more  than  this,  he  was 
manly,  honest,  resourceful,  and  to  be  depended 
upon  to  the  last.  He  was  not  exactly  handsome, 
but  the  self-reliant  way  in  which  he  carried  him- 
self made  him  conspicuous  even  in  a  crowd.  With 
it  all  he  was  in  no  way  assertive  or  aggressive, 
but  calmly  ready  to  meet  whatever  might  happen 
to  come  whether  it  were  good  or  ill. 

From  his  home  town  in  New  York  State,  Jim 
had  been  suddenly  called  to  the  Far  West  to  look 
after  his  yacht,  the  Sea  Eagle,  -an  ocean  going 
boat  equipped  for  propelling  power  with  sail  and 
engine.  He  had  bought  the  boat  fairly  enough, 
but  on  enforced  conditions,  which  Captain  Bill 
Broome,  the  former  owner,  had  recently  found 
a  way  to  override,  illegally,  of  course,  but  he  was 
in  possession,  which  is  generally  said  to  be  nine 
points  of  the  law. 

Juarez  had;  known  nothing  of  the  Sea  Eagle 
complication,  but  one  day  a  stranger  had  come 
to  the  Kansas  Town  where  he  lived,  enquired 
for  him  and  had  promptly  laid  before  the  youth 


AN    ENCOUNTER  13 

a  proposition  to  join  in  a  venture  to  search  for 
lost  treasures  in  the  South  Seas.  The  professor, 
for  so  he  introduced  himself,  had  all  the  needed 
funds  for  the  venture,  but  lacked  experienced 
assistants.  He  wanted  them  not  only  with  experi- 
ence, but  honest  as  well,  for  naturally,  if  success 
attended  his  efforts,  and  the  sought  for  treasure 
was  found  it  would  prove  an  ever  present  tempta- 
tion to  an  unruly  crew,  or  one  disposed  to  evil. 

Juarez  had  accepted  the  offer  as  soon  as  made. 
The  quiet  life  of  the  farm,  and  even  the  occasional 
visits  to  the  small,  nearby  country  town  were  dull 
indeed.  To  one  of  his  active  nature'  this  life  was 
very  monotonous.  He  had  promptly  wired,  at 
the  professor's  request,  to  James  Darlington,  and 
Jo,  receiving  the  message  in  his  brother's  absence, 
had,  after  consulting  Tom,  wired  acceptance  of 
the  very  liberal  offer  made. 

So  it  had  come  about  that  Jim  being  in  San 
Francisco  on  one  mission,  his  brothers  and  their 
friend  had  arrived  to  take  part  in  another  enter- 
prise. 

Reaching  San  Francisco,  effort  had  been  made 
by  the  three  boys  to  locate  Jim,  but  so  far  unsuc- 
cessfullv.     The  reader  of  the  "Frontier  Boys  in 


14         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH   SEAS 

Frisco"  is  fully  conversant  of  the  episode  which 
had  taxed  Jim's  time  and  attention. 

The  boys  had  arranged  to  sleep  aboard  the 
professor's  boat,  and  Juarez  was  awaiting  the 
return  of  Jo  and  Tom,  who  had  gone  upon  some 
errand. 

Juarez,  thus  suddenly  awakened,  struggled 
vainly  but  furiously  for  a  few  moments  to  break 
the  iron  grasp  that  held  him  as  in  a  vice.  Then, 
with  Indian  cunning  he  apparently  gave  up  the 
attempt  and  ceased  to  struggle,  but  resolved  to 
renew  his  efforts  at  the  first  opportunity  that 
offered. 

He  had  been  taken  so  unaware  that  he  had 
no  chance  to  see  who  it  was  that  had  stolen  upon 
him  from  the  back,  seized  him,  and  held  him  with 
his  face  to  the  wall  of  the  building  against  which 
he  had  been  leaning. 

"Ho!"  cried  a  gruff  voice,  "I  have  got  you  at 
last." 

"It  looks  that  way,"  admitted  Juarez.  "Who 
are  you  and  what  do  you  want?" 

"You,"  replied  the  other. 

"What  do  you  want  with  me?"  went  on  Juarez. 

"That  you  will  soon  find  out,"  was  the  reply, 
with  just  a  suspicion  of  exultant  laughter  in  the 


AN   ENCOUNTER  15 

tone  of  the  speaker,  at  the  same  time  relaxing 
his  hold  a  little. 

With  the  quickness  of  a  panther,  Juarez,  as  he 
felt  the  other's  hold  relax,  slipped  from  his  grasp, 
and  whirling  about  seized  his  opponent  in  turn 
and  a  moment  later  the  two  were  rolling  and 
tumbling  about  on  the  floor  of  the  dock.  They 
were  so  equally  matched  in  strength  that  it 
seemed  only  by  chance  or  through  some  lucky 
turn  in  his  favor  that  either  would  be  able  to 
overcome  the  other. 


CHAPTER  II. 


A    CONFERENCE. 


Jim  Darlington  and  John  Berwick,  the  latter 
the  once  time  engineer  of  the  Sea  Eagle,  were  on 
the  morning  on  which  our  story  opened,  after  an 
early  breakfast,  seated  in  a  secluded  part  of  the 
rotunda  of  the  Commercial  Hotel,  where,  safe 
from  possible  eavesdroppers,  they  were  discuss- 
ing the  events  of  the  previous  day. 

"Well,  Jim,"  asked  Berwick,  "what  comes 
next?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Jim.  "I  am  just 
trying  to  think  it  out." 

"Well,  I  hope  your  mind  is  in  better  condition 
than  mine,"  returned  Berwick,  "I  don't  seem  to 
see  any  way  out." 

"Then,  we  must  make  one." 

"I  confess  it's  too  much  for  me,"  went  on  Ber- 
wick, sitting  back  resignedly.  "That  old  ras- 
cal of  a  Bill  Broome  seems  to  have  made 
a    clean    sweep    of    it    this    time.        He's    got 

16 


A  CONFERENCE  17 

the  young  senorita  safe  in  his  clutches  on  the 
Sea  Eagle,  and  with  that  sister  for  a  jailer,  as 
far  as  I  can  see  he  will  sail  away  with  her  and 
we  can  sit  here  and  chew  our  thumbs  for  all  we 
can  do." 

Berwick  was  referring  to  his  own  and  Jim's 
experiences  as  related  in  a  previous  book,  the 
"Frontier  Boys  in  Frisco." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  exclaimed  Jim,  shut- 
ting his  teeth  down   with  a  snap.     "I   am  not , 
through  with  that  old  pirate  yet." 

"I'm  with  you  there,  Jim,"  agreed  Berwick. 
"I  owe  him  something  on  my  own  account,  but 
I  don't  see  any  prospect  of  an  immediate  pay- 
ment." 

"If  we  only  knew  which  way  he  was  going." 

"That's  a  pretty  big  if,"  said  Berwick. 

"Maybe  not  as  big  as  it  looks,"  returned  Jim. 
"At  any  rate,  I  mean  to  find  out." 

"How  are  you  going  to  do  that?" 

"I  don't  know  yet,  but  I  mean  to  find  a  way." 

"I  think  you  will,  Jim.  Have  you  no  plan 
in  view?" 

"None,  except  to  get  a  boat  and  follow  him. 
I'd  give  half  a  fortune  if  I  only  had  Jo  and  Tom 
here." 


18         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH   SEAS 

"And  Juarez,"  put  in  Berwick. 

"And  Juarez,  of  course." 

"Why  not  telegraph  for  them?  It  would  only 
take  a  week  for  them  to  come?" 

"I'm  afraid  Broome  would  not  wait  for  them 
to  get  here,"  answered  Jim  with  a  smile.  "What- 
ever we  do  has  got  to  be  done  quick." 

"I  wonder  what  he  is  going  to  do  with  the 
senorita,  anyway,"  went  on  Berwick. 

"Hold  her  for  a  ransom,  I  suppose,"  answered 
Jim.  "I've  got  it!"  he  cried,  spring  to  his  feet. 
"Come  on." 

"What  now?"  demanded  Berwick. 

"It's  all  right,"  replied  Jim,  "I'll  explain  as 
we  go  along." 

"Glad  of  it,"  responded  Berwick,  "but  I'm 
blessed  if  I  see  it." 

"Why,  you  see,"  began  Jim,  but  as  he  spoke  a 
bellboy  with  a  yellow  envelope  in  his  hand  came 
up  to  him. 

"Telegraph  for  yo,  sah,"  he  said,  handing  the 
envelope  to  Jim. 

"For  me!"  exclaimed  Jim  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  sah,"  replied  the  boy.    "Just  done  come." 

Tearing  open  the  envelope,  Jim  read  the  mes- 
sage with  an  exclamation  of  surprised  wonder. 


A  CONFERENCE  19 

"No  bad  news,  I  hope,"  interposed  Berwick. 

"On  the  contrary,  it's  more  than  good.  Just 
what  I  was  a  moment  ago  wishing  for,"  replied 
Jim,  handing  him  the  slip.  "What  do  you  think 
of  that?  Jo  and  Tom  are  actually  on  their  way 
here.  Why,  and  for  what  purpose  I  don't  know, 
but  so  it  is." 

"Of  all  things!"  ejaculated  Berwick.  "What 
can  it  mean?" 

'That  luck  is  with  us,"  said  Jim.  "We  will 
get  the  Sea  Eagle  back  yet." 

"I  hope  so,"  replied  the  engineer,  dubiously, 
"but"— 

"Now,  John,  don't  be  bringing  in  any  buts," 
retorted  Jim.    "Don't  you  believe  we  can  dot  it?" 

"Haven't  any  doubt  of  it,"  returned  Berwick, 
laughing  heartily  at  Jim's  impetuous  speech.  "I 
was  only  going  to  say  that  Broome  is  a  pretty 
tough  customer." 

"We  won't  quarrel  about  that,"  admitted  Jim, 
with  a  grin.  "He  is  about  the  toughest  proposi- 
tion we  have  been  up  against." 

"Have  you  any  plan  in  mind,"  went  on  Ber- 
wick. 

"I  think  the  first  thing  to  do,"  answered  Jim, 


20         FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

"is  to  go  and  see  Senor  de  Cordova  and  learn 
what  he  has  heard  of  the  senorita." 

"Why  do  you  think  he  has  heard  anything?" 

"If  Broome  is  holding  her  for  a  ransom,  as 
we  believe,  he  will  send  word  to  her  father  as  to 
when  and  where  to  send  the  money." 

"That  seems  reasonable,"  agreed  Berwick. 

"I  propose  to  be  there,  and  have  a  hand  in  the 
proceedings." 

"Oh,  you  do!  And  how  do  you  propose  to 
get  there?" 

"Can't  say  yet  until  I  know  the  when  and 
where  of  it.  It  will  probably  be  in  some  secluded 
place  where  they  will  expect  to  be  safe  from 
attack,  which  will  suit  us  all  the  better,  as  we 
will  give  them  a  surprise.  If  we  can't  do  any 
better  we  will  follow  them." 

"Going  to  swim  after  them?" 

"It  isn't  as  bad  as  that,"  laughed  Jim.  "I  think 
we  will  be  able  to  pick  up  a  boat  somewhere  that 
will  serve  us.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  find 
out  where  they  are  going." 

"That  does  seem  to  be  advisable,"  returned 
Berwick,  "if  we  expect  to  be  there." 

"Now,  don't  be  sarcastic,  old  chap,"  replied 
Jim,  good-naturedly.     "You  know  what  I  mean. 


A  CONFERENCE  21 

Of  course,  all  our  plans  must  be  based  on  that." 

"All  right,  Jim,"  agreed  Berwick,  "but  how  do 
you  propose  to  get  that  information?" 

"Ask  Senor  de  Cordova." 

"Don't  believe  he  will  tell  you,"  said  Berwick 
laconically. 

"Why  not?" 

"Well,  if  he  has  had  word  from  Broome,  he 
has  probably  been  warned  not  to  say  anything 
about  it." 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  that,"  admitted  Jim,  "but 
still  I  think  he  will  tell  us.  It  fairly  makes  me 
wild  when  I  think  of  that  girl  in  the  hands  of 
those  ruffians." 

Jim  clenched  his  hands  as  he  vowed  to  himself 
that  it  would  go  hard  with  them  if  any  harm  came 
to  her. 

"Same  here,"  responded  Berwick  heartily. 

Jim  was  pondering  deeply,  and  sat  gazing 
through  the  windows. 

"Do  you  know  where  to  find  the  Senor?"  Ber- 
wick went  on  a  few  minutes  later. 

"I  suppose  he  is  stopping  at  the  Palace.  That 
is  where  we  saw  them  the  other  day." 

A  few  minutes  walk  brought  them  to  the  hotel, 
where,  on  inquiry,  they  learned  that  the  Senor 


22         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

had  been  stopping  there,  but  that  he  had  gon< 
away  that  morning. 

"No,  he  did  not  say  where  he  was  going,"  the 
clerk  informed  them.  "He  went  away  on  horse- 
back and  his  man  on  another  mount." 

"Then  he  will  probably  return  to-day?"  sug- 
gested Jim. 

"Who  knows?"  the  clerk  answered  with  a  shrug 
of  his  shoulders.  "No,  he  did  not  say  where  he 
was  going  or  when  he  would  be  back.  No,  he 
hasn't  given  up  his  room.  If  it  is  anything  of 
importance  about  which  you  wish  to  see  the 
Senor,  you  might  interview  his  lawyer,  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds at  No.  10  Court  street,  who,  perhaps  might 
know  where  he  has  gone." 

"Were  they  his  own  horses?"  went  on  Jim. 

"Couldn't  say,"  replied  the  clerk.  "Perhaps 
the  porter  can  tell  you.  He  went  for  the  horses, 
I  believe.  Here,  Pedro,"  calling  the  porter,  who 
was  standing  nearby,  "you  got  the  horses  for  the 
Senor  this  morning,  didn't  you?" 

"Si,  Senor,"  answered  the  porter,  a  swarthy 
Mexican. 

"Where  did  they  come  from?"  asked  Jim. 

"From  Ross  and  McLanes,"  replied  the  porter. 
"The  Senor  told  me  to  tell  them  to  send  around 


A  CONFERENCE  23 

the  best  horses  they  had  in  the  stable,  no  matter 
what  they  cost.  They  were  mucho  hermosa,  very 
handsome.  He  paid  for  them  right  down.  Never 
questioned  the  price." 

"Sorry  I  can't  give  you  more  information," 
added  the  clerk,  "but  I  think  if  you  want  to  find 
the  Senor,  you  had  better  see  Mr.  Reynolds. 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Jim.  "We  will  go 
there." 

"Hem!"  commented  Berwick  when  they  were 
on  the  street  again.  "We  didn't  find  out  very 
much." 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Jim.  "At  least  we 
have  found  that  he  has  heard  from  Broome." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?" 

"He  went  away  unexpectedly  or  he  would  have 
made  more  preparation,  and  he  left  no  word 
where  he  was  going  or  when  he  would  be  back, 
which  shows  that  he  was  going  on  some  secret 
mission.,, 

"You  are  probably  right,"  admitted  Berwick, 
after  a  moment's  thought.  "We  won't  be  able 
to  get  any  information  from  him." 

"But  we  may  get  something  from  his  lawyer," 
replied  Jim  cheerfully.  "He  probably  knows 
where  he  has  gone." 


24         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

"What  shall  we  do  to  get  there,  walk  or  ride?" 

"Better  ride,  I  think,"  said  Jim,  hailing  a  cab. 
"We  haven't  any  time  to  lose." 

It  was  only  a  short  distance,  and  in  less  than 
fifteen  minutes  they  were  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Howard  Reynolds,  who  was  better  known 
to  the  shady  side  of  San  Francisco  than  he  was 
to  the  reputable  inhabitants  of  the  town.  The 
office  was  in  an  old,  rather  delapidated  building, 
not  far  from  the  city  hall. 

"Mr.  Reynolds  is  in,"  so  the  clerk  in  charge  of 
the  outer  office  informed  them,  "but  is  particu- 
larly engaged  at  this  time.  If  the  gentlemen  will 
be  seated,  I  will  learn  if  Mr.  Reynolds  will  see 
them." 

Going  into  an  inner  office,  he  returned  a  mo- 
ment later  to  say  that  Mr.  Reynolds  was  very 
busy,  and  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  give  them 
any  time  unless  their  business  with  him  was  of 
importance. 

"Tell  him,"  directed  Jim,  "that  I  wish  to  see 
him  on  a  matter  of  much  importance  to  Senor  de 
Cordova." 

The  clerk,  a  man  of  about  forty,  with  an 
expressionless  face,  except  for  a  cunning  twinkle 


A  CONFERENCE  25 

about  the  eyes,  took  the  card  Jim  handed  him, 
and  again  disappeared  into  the  inner  room. 

At  this  moment  Jim,  who  was  standing  by  the 
windows  looking  upon  the  street,  happened  to 
glance  down  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  famil- 
iar figure  of  Captain  Broome,  who  had  apparently 
just  emerged  from  the  building. 

"I  wonder  what  he  was  doing  here,"  muttered 
Jim  to  himself. 

"Who?    What?"  asked  Berwick. 

"Sh  I"  whispered  Jim,  "I  will  tell  you  later." 

"Mr.  Reynolds  will  see  you  for  a  few  minutes," 
announced  the  clerk,  holding  open  the  door  to 
the  inner  office  for  them  to  pass  through. 


CHAPTER  III. 


PICKING   UP   THE   ENDS. 


The  room  which  Jim  and  the  chief  engineer 
entered  was  furnished  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
outer  room,  which  was  plainly,  even  meagerly 
equipped  with  a  few  chairs  and  a  table  or  two 
and  a  desk.  The  inner  room  was  luxuriously 
and  lavishly  fitted  up  with  a  handsome  mahog- 
any desk,  easy  chairs,  fine  paintings  upon  the 
walls  and  costly  rugs  upon  the  floor. 

Motioning  to  them  to  be  seated  with  a  sweep 
of  his  hand,  upon  which  glittered  a  serpent  ring 
of  peculiar  design  with  ruby  eyes  which  seemed 
to  glow  as  if  alive,  the  lawyer  eyed  them  coldly 
for  a  moment  throught  half  closed  eyes. 

"You  wished  to  see  me  upon  business  con- 
nected with  the  Senor  de  Cordova,"  he  said,  with- 
out any  preliminary  greeting. 

"Yes,"  replied  Jim  quietly,  "I  have  been  re- 
ferred to  you  as  being  in  charge  of  his  affairs." 

"My  whom?" 

26 


PICKING  UP  THE  ENDS  27 

"The  clerk  at  the  Palace  Hotel." 

"Ah,  indeed.  What  is  the  nature  of  your  busi- 
ness with  him?" 

"That  I  will  communicate  with  him  person- 
ally," answered  Jim,  who  had  conceived  an  in- 
stant distrust  of  the  man.  "What  I  wish  to  know 
is  his  present  address." 

The  lawyer  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  softly 
whistled  for  a  moment  with  a  sort  of  hissing 
sound. 

"He's  concocting  some  sort  of  a  scheme  now," 
thought  Jim,  who  was  regarding  him  critically. 

"  I  cannot  inform  you  of  his  exact  where- 
abouts remarked  the  lawyer,  "but  he  is  some- 
where in  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  He  was 
called  away  on  some  important  business." 

"Was  it  in  connection  with  the  abduction  of  his 
daughter?"  asked  Jim,  rising  to  his  feet  and 
standing  beside  the  desk  looking  directly  into  the 
eyes  of  the  lawyer. 

"Eh,  what  is  that?"  asked  the  lawyer,  hastily 
shuffling  the  papers  on  his  desk,  but  not  before 
Jim  had  caught  sight  of  the  words  "San  Mat — " 
in  a  familiar  handwriting. 

"I  said,  has  his  journey  any  connection  with 
the  abduction  of  his  daughter  ?"  repeated  Jim. 


28         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

"What  do  you  know  about  the  abduction  of  the 
Senorita  de  Cordova  ?"  asked  the  lawyer,  sharply. 
"Perhaps  you  had  something  to  do  with  it." 

"I  haven't  anything  to  do  with  it,"  answered 
Jim,  "but  I  know  who  did,  and  I  know  where  the 
Senorita  is." 

"Indeed,  you  seem  to  think,  young  man,  that 
you  know  a  good  deal.  Suppose  I  were  to  put 
the  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  police?" 

"Just  as  you  like,"  responded  Jim,  "there  is  my 
address  if  you  want  me.  You  can  find  me  there 
any  time.  I  think,"  turning  to  Berwick,  "there 
is  nothing  more  to  be  gained  here." 

"There  doesn't  seem  to  be,"  replied  Berwick. 

"Then  don't  waste  any  more  of  my  time,"  said 
the  lawyer  sharply.  "Wickham,"  to  the  clerk, 
"you  can  show  these  gentlemen,"  with  a  sneering 
emphasis  on  "the  gentlemen,"  "out." 

Thus  curtly  dismissed,  Jim  and  his  companion 
made  their  way  to  the  street. 

As  soon  as  they  had  gone,  the  lawyer  hastily 
wrote  upon  a  sheet  of  paper: 

"Look  out  for  a  young  fool  who  calls  himself 
James  Darlington,  and  knows  more  than  is  good 
for  him,"  to  which  he  added  the  initials  W.  H.  R. 
and  calling  Wickham  into  the  room  gave  it  to 


PICKING   UP   THE   ENDS  29 

him  with  orders  to  see  that  it  be  delivered  at  the 
address  given,  where  it  would  come  into  the  hands 
of  Captain  Broome  at  once. 

This  done,  Mr.  Reynolds  leaned  back  in  his 
chair,  and  began  whistling  softly. 

"I  think,  Mr.  James  Darlington,  that  a  voyage 
with  Captain  Broome  might  teach  you  not  to 
meddle  in  other  people's  affairs,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, with  an  ugly  expression  on  his  face. 

The  message  reached  its  destination  within  a 
few  minutes  after  it  had  been  sent,  and  was  in 
the  hands  of  Captain  Broome  in  less  than  half 
an  hour. 

"Ha!"  snorted  Broome,  when  he  read  it.  "I 
think  I  can  take  care  of  him.  Hey,  Manuel," 
to  a  swarthy  Mexican  dwarf,  who  was  with  him. 
"That  Jim  Darlington  is  making  trouble  again. 
Get  on  his  trail  so  I  can  catch  him." 

"Si,  Senor,"  replied  the  Mexican  with  an  ugly 
grin.    "Shall  I  give  him  the  knife  ?" 

"No,"  responded  Broome,  vindictively,  "I  want 
him  alive." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


BUFFETED. 


"I  don't  know  how  you  feel,  chief,"  remarked 
Jim,  when  the  two  were  out  on  the  street  again, 
"but  it  strikes  me  that,  as  we  have  something  of 
a  busy  day  ahead  of  us,  and  don't  know  just 
where  we  shall  bring  up,  it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  plan 
to  make  sure  of  some  lunch  now." 

"I  don't  see  any  objection  to  it,"  replied  the 
engineer. 

"Didn't  think  you  would,"  answered  Jim  with 
a  laugh.  "Never  knew  you  to  refuse  a  meal  yet. 
If  I  remember  rightly  there's  a  restaurant  just 
around  the  corner  where  we  can  get  something  to 
eat  and  get  a  chance  to  map  out  our  plans.  The 
cooking  isn't  quite  up  to  the  Delmonico  standard, 
but  it  is  good  and  there  is  plenty  of  it." 

"Well,  that  means  there's  enough  of  it  such  as 
it  is,"  said  the  engineer,  "but  I  guess  I  can  stand 
it  if  you  can.    Lead  on,  Jim." 

Jim  led  the  way  around  the  corner,  not,  how- 
30 


BUFFETED  31 

ever,  without  casting  a  glance  back  and  walking 
for  several  doors  past  the  place  he  had  spoken  of. 
Then,  after  looking  about  him,  he  retraced  his 
steps  and  entered  the  restaurant,  which  was  an 
unpretentious  place  on  a  side  street. 

'There's  a  table  over  there,,,  he  said,  indicating 
one  in  the  rear  of  the  room,  "that  will  suit  us. 
We  can  see  all  who  come  in  and  won't  be  con- 
spicuous ourselves. " 

"What's  all  this  mystery,  Jim  ?"  asked  the  engi- 
neer, when  they  had  taken  their  seats  and  given 
their  order. 

"I  have  a  feeling  that  that  Mexican  imp  of 
deformity,  Manuel,  isn't  far  away,  and  we  can't 
afford  to  take  any  chances." 

"You  are  right  there,  Jim,"  responded  Berwick 
heartily.  "That  chap  gives  me  the  shivers.  He's 
more  like  a  snake  than  a  man." 

"That's  just  it.  He's  so  confoundedly  slippery, 
it  almost  seems  that  you  never  can  get  a  hold  on 
him,  and  if  you  did,  what  can  one  do  with  such 
a  miserably  deformed  body?     Ugh!" 

"One  never  feels  easy  when  he's  anywhere 
about,"  admitted  Berwick. 

Jim  made  no  further  comment,  but  he  was  evi- 
dently thinking  deeply. 


32         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

"The  next  thing  to  do,"  began  Jim,  when  the 
meal  had  been  served  and  the  waiter  gone  to 
attend  to  other  duties,  "is  to  see  if  we  can  get 
a  ship — " 

"And  follow  them,"  put  in  the  engineer. 

"I'd  like  to  get  there  ahead  of  them  if  we 
could." 

"If  we  only  knew  where  the  place  was." 

"Oh,  I  know  that,"  said  Jim  quietly. 

"You  do!"  exclaimed  the  engineer  in  astonish- 
ment.    "Where  is  it?" 

"San  Matteo  Bay"— 

"San  Matteo.     Where  is  that?" 

"About  seventy-five  miles  down  the  coast." 

"How  did  you  find  it  out?" 

"Mr.  Reynolds  told  me." 

'Mr.  Reynolds!"  echoed  the  engineer,  "When?" 

"When  we  were  there,"  replied  Jim  laughing 
at  the  look  of  astonishment  on  his  companion's 
face.  "You  remember  that  he  told  us  that  the 
Senor  had  gone  into  the  northern  part  of  the 
State." 

"But  you  just  said  that  San  Matteo  was  'down* 
the  coast." 

"Of  course,"  responded  Jim,  a  trifle  impa- 
tiently.    "Don't  you  see  that  he  wanted  me  to 


BUFFETED  33 

think  that  he  went  the  other  way  from  what  he 
did?" 

"I  see.    Then  when  he  said  he  went  north — ." 

"It  was  then,"  broke  in  Jim,  "that  I  happened 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  paper  on  his  desk  with 
a  name  on  it.  I  wouldn't  have  noticed  it  only  for 
his  anxiety  to  cover  it  up  when  I  was  standing 
there,  and  I  just  caught  this  much — 'San  Mat — '  " 

"Why  do  you  think  it  meant  San  Matteo?" 

"Because  San  Matteo  is  just  the  place  that 
would  suit  Broome  for  his  purpose.  There  is 
scarcely  anyone  living  around  there.  It's  about 
three  or  four  days'  journey  by  land  and  about 
two  by  water,  so  Broome  can  give  the  Senor  a 
couple  of  days  start  and  see  if  he  makes  any 
attempt  to  evade  the  conditions,  and  still  be  there 
to  meet  him  on  time." 

"I  see,  you  have  a  long  head,  Jim,  but  what 
is  to  prevent  Brome  from  getting  the  ransom  and 
still  keeping  the  girl?" 

"You  and  I." 

"Humph!"  returned  the  engineer,  "that  looks 
to  me  like  a  pretty  big  contract  we  are  taking  up." 

"It  is,"  responded  Jim,  "but  we  have  got  to 
carry  it  through." 

"It  looks  to  me,"  went  on  the  engineer,  "as  if 


34        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH   SEAS 

we  were  going  to  be  pretty  busy  for  the  next  few 

days." 

"And  the  sooner  we  get  started,  the  better/' 
added  Jim. 

Leaving  the  restaurant,  Jim  and  the  chief  engi- 
neer walked  leisurely  to  the  corner,  where  they 
stood  for  a  few  minutes,  ostensibly  watching  the 
hurrying  crowd  of  people  on  the  street,  but  never- 
theless keeping  a  watchful  eye  for  anyone  who 
might  be  dogging  their  footsteps. 

"Seen  anything  of  that  imp  of  darkness  ?" 
asked  the  engineer. 

"No,"  replied  Jim,  "he  isn't  anywhere  in  sight, 
but  I  don't  believe  he  is  very  far  away." 

"Can't  we  shake  him  off  some  way?" 

"That's  rather  doubtful,  but  we  can  lead  him  a 
merry  chase." 

"That's  something.     What's  the  plan?" 

"We  will  walk  down  the  street,"  explained 
Jim,  "as  if  we  had  no  particular  purpose  in  view, 
then  we  will  separate,  and  you  will  go  one  way 
and  I  the  other.  Then,  unless,  as  Tom  says, 
'he  is  two  gintlemen  in  wan,'  and  can  go  both 
ways,  he  won't  know  which  one  of  us  to  follow." 

"Trust  him  for  that,"  said  the  chief  engineer, 
"he's  sure  to  follow  you." 


BUFFETED  35 

"So  much  the  better,"  returned  Jim.  "I  think 
I'll  manage  to  keep  him  busy  for  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon." 

"What  do  you  want  me  to  do?" 

"You  can  go  down  to  the  maritime  exchange, 
and  see  if  you  can  learn  of  something  in  the  way 
of  a  yacht  that  will  serve  us  until  we  can  get  the 
Sea  Eagle  back.  One  to  buy  or  hire,  whichever  is 
offered.     You  know  what  we  want." 

"All  right.     I  guess  I  can  locate  something." 

"Meantime,"  continued  Jim,  "I  will  go  up  the 
bay  and  look  over  anything  in  the  harbor.  That 
will  puzzle  Manuel  if  he  is  after  me." 

They  separated,  and  the  engineer  sprang  into 
a  passing  street  car,  and  with  a  "so  long,  Jim," 
disappeared.  Jim  reached  the  wharves  through 
another  street,  secured  a  rowboat  and  started  on 
his  quest,  which  occupied  his  time  for  several 
hours. 

It  was  a  little  after  the  appointed  time  when 
Jim  arrived  at  the  designated  meeting  place  com- 
ing from  across  the  bay  in  his  boat. 

"Call  this  five  o'clock?"  grumbled  the  engineer, 
when  he  joined  him  a  moment  later.  "I  was 
beginning  to  think  that  gorilla  Groome  had  gob- 
bled you  at  last.     I  have  been  hanging  around 


36         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH?  SEAS 

for  the  last  hour  waiting  for  you.  Well,  what 
luck?" 

"Found  some  makeshifts,  but  not  just  what  I 
want.     How  was  it  with  you?" 

"Failed  entirely." 

"Well,  get  into  the  boat,"  directed  Jim,  "and 
we  will  talk  things  over  as  we  go  along." 

"Where  are  you  going  now?" 

"Out  to  take  a  look  for  the  Sea  Eagle,  and  see 
if  she  is  still  there." 

"You  haven't  told  me  what  you  found,"  per- 
sisted Berwick. 

"One  thing  I  am  sure  of,  I  lost  that  fellow 
Manuel." 

"See  anything  of  him?" 

"Not  a  thing.  Maybe  he  was  after  you  instead 
of  me." 

"Heaven  forbid,"  ejaculated  Berwick,  with  a 
half  glance  backward. 

"So  you  did  not  find  a  ship  for  us?"  repeated 
Jim. 

"There  doesn't  seem  to  be  anything  in  port  that 
we  can  get.  Just  missed  getting  one,  though. 
Martinex  sold  a  ship  this  morning  that  would 
have  just  suited  us." 


BUFFETED 


37 


"That's  tough,"  sighed  Jim.  "We  have  got  to 
have  one  before  Broome  gets  away." 

"Don't  know  where  you  are  going  to  get  it." 

"Neither  do  I,"  returned  Jim.  "But  we  are 
like  the  boy  and  the  hedgehog,  'We  have  just  got 
to  get  one.'  " 

By  this  time  they  had  come  within  sight  of 
where  the  Sea  Eagle  lay  riding  quietly  at  her 
anchor,  but  not  going  close  enough  to  be  recog- 
nized by  any  on  board  who  might  be  on  the 
watch. 

"There  isn't  any  signs  of  their  getting  ready 
to  sail,"  decided  Jim,  after  a  few  moments'  study 
of  the  yacht.  So  I  think  we  are  safe  for  another 
day." 

"There  is  something  that  would  suit  us  to  a 
T,"  remarked  Berwick  on  their  way  back,  indi- 
cating* a  trim  looking  schooner-rigged  yacht. 
"She's  a  beauty,"  he  observed  enthusiastically. 

The  yacht  seemed  to  rest  as  lightly  upon  the 
water  as  a  sea  bird.  Long,  low,  with  not  too 
much  freeboard,  it  rose  and  fell  on  the  waves, 
tugging  at  the  anchor  chains  as  though  impa- 
tient to  slip  her  leash  and  bound  away  on  her 
course.    It  was  painted  in  a  pale  metallic  yellow 


38       *  FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

that  glittered  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  like 
gold. 

'The  owner  of  that  boat  won't  hire  her,"  de- 
clared Berwick.  "I  bet  he  thinks  more  of  her 
than  he  does  of  his  wife." 

"I  don't  believe  he  has  one,"  declared  Jim. 
"Almost  as  good  as  theJftea  Eagle,  isn't  she?" — 
which  was  high  praise  from  Jim.  "Perhaps  we 
could  hire  her.     We  might  take  a  look  at  her." 

"The  Storm  King!"  he  exclaimed,  when  they 
came  near  enough  to  read  the  name  on  the  bow. 
"Why  that  is  the  boat  the  old  captain  told  us 
about  when  he  had  the  brush  with  Broome." 

"Brush  with  Broome  is  good,"  said  Berwick, 
with  a  laugh,  "but  I  thought  he  said  that  boat 
was  in  the  South  Seas." 

"JVlust  have  come  in.  The  captain  said  Single- 
ton owned  her.  Maybe  he  would  like  to  charter 
her.  We'll  try  him  anyhow.  Storm  King,  ahoy!" 
hailed  Jim  pulling  up  to  the  side  of  the  yacht. 

"Boat  ahoy,"  answered  a  sailor  on  deck. 

"Is  the  captain  on  board?"  asked  Jim. 

"D'ye  mean  Captain  Wilkins?" 

"I  guess  yes,"  answered  Jim,  "I  would  like  to 
speak  to  him." 


BUFFETED  39 

"I  admire  your  nerve,  Jim,"  said  Berwick,  in 
an  undertone. 

"Coming  on  board,  sir?"  asked  the  sailor,  mak- 
ing ready  to  heave  a  small  line. 

"Yes,"  returned  Jim,  "heave  away." 

Catching  the  line  the  sailor  had  thrown,  Jim 
and  Berwick  climbed  the  gangway  ladder  to 
the  deck  where  they  were  met  by  Captain  Wil- 
kins,  a  grizzled  old  seaman,  attired  in  an  undress 
uniform.  He  was  tall,  stoutly  built,  with  an 
alert  air  about  him  that  impressed  both  Jim  and 
Berwick  favorably  at  the  start: 

"How  do  you  do,  gentlemen?"  The  captain 
greeted  them  with  punctilious  politeness,  "glad 
to  meet  you." 

"And  we  are  very  glad  to  meet  you,  Captain 
Wilkins,"  returned  Jim.  "This  is  a  fine  boat  you 
have." 

"Isn't  she,"  returned  the  captain  with  enthu- 
siasm. "There  was  never  a  better  come  out  of  a 
shipyard.  Look  at  her  lines.  Why  she  sets 
on  the  water  like  a  duck.  And  roomy,  too.  She 
ain't  one  of  the  slim  waisted  kind  where  you 
don't  have  room  to  turn  around.  Why,  Lord 
love  you,  lads,  ye  could  be  no  more  comfortable 
if  you  put  up  at  the  Palace  Hotel." 


40         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

"You're  right  there,  captain,"  agreed  Berwick, 
"I  never  saw  a  prettier  boat.  I  can  see  you  carry 
quite  an  armament." 

"Oh,  that  was  for  use  in  the  South  Seas.  She 
was  engaged  in  trade  down  there",  and  we  used 
to  have  a  brush  occasionally  with  the  pirates. 
Not  of  late,  however,  for  they  learned  to  leave 
her  alone." 

"Do  you  own  her?"  asked  Jim. 

"Haven't  such  good  luck.  Wish  I  did.  No, 
she  belongs  to  a  professor  with  a  long  name, 
though  I'm  blessed  if  I  know  what  he's  going  to 
do  with  her.  Just  bought  her  a  couple  of  months 
ago,  and  fixed  her  all  up.  Overhauled  the  hull 
and  rigging,  put  in  new  tackle  and  fixed  up  the 
engines  as  good  as  new." 

"Do  you  think  he  would  sell  her?"  asked  Jim. 

"Not  him,"  responded  the  captain.  "He  has 
just  got  her  fixed  to  suit  him.  She's  fit  for  a 
queen  now.  Just  come  below  and  take  a  look 
around." 

Accepting  the  invitation,  Jim  and  Berwick 
went  below  and  inspected  the  staterooms  and 
found  that  they  fully  justified  the  captain's  praise. 

"Ye  gods  and  little  fishes!"  exclaimed  Ber- 


BUFFETED  41 

wick,  "it  looks  more  like  a  lady's  boudoir  than 
a  ship's  cabin." 

"I  fancy  you've  hit  it,  don't  you  know,"  agreed 
the  captain,  "I  kind  of  fancy  that  he's  going  off 
on  a  bridal  tour." 

"Where  is  the  professor  now?"  asked  Jim. 

"He's  off  East  somewhere,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain. "I  wouldn't  be  suprised  if  he's  gone  after 
the  lady." 

"Much  obliged  to  you,  captain,"  said  Jim, 
when  they  had  gone  up  on  deck  again,  "I'm 
awfully  sorry  she  can't  be  bought.  I  think  she 
would  have  just  suited  us." 

"You  can't  never  tell,"  observed  the  captain, 
philosophically,  when  they  were  leaving,  "you 
might  hunt  up  the  perfesser  when  he  gets  back. 
Perhaps  the  lady  might  change  her  mind.  Such 
things  have  happened." 

"So  I  have  learned,"  laughed  Berwick.  "Well, 
goodbye,  captain.     We  may  act  on  your  advice." 


CHAPTER  V. 

WHEREIN    ARE    SEVERAL    SURPRISES. 

John  Berwick  had  taken  the  oars  on  leaving 
the  Storm  King,  and  had  pulled  for  some  time  in 
the  direction  of  the  city.  Without  speaking,  he 
gave  undivided  attention  to  his  task,  while  Jim 
seated  in  the  stern  sheets,  was  also  silent,  lost  in 
thought. 

"Well,  Jim,"  began  Berwick,  after  a  time,  as 
they  were  nearing  the  city  wharves,  "have  you 
decided  on  your  next  move?" 

"Yes,"  responded  Jim,  rousing  himself.  "The 
next  thing  I  am  going  to  do  is  to  get  dinner." 

"Then,"  continued  Jim,  "I  am  going  to  bed 
and  get  a  good  night's  sleep  and  make  a  fresh 
start  in  the  morning." 

"A  most  sensible  thing,  Jim,"  agreed  the  man 
at  the  oars. 

"That's  what  Broome  is  going  to  do,  too." 

"What?"  asked  Jim. 

"Make  a  good  start  in  the  morning." 
42 


WHEREIN   ARE   SEVERAL   SURPRISES  43 

"Can't  help  it  if  he  does/'  growled  Jim.  "Have 
you  anything  better  to  suggest  ?" 

"No,  I  suppose  that  we  have  done  all  that  we 
can. 

"But  not  all  that  we  are  going  to  do !"  snapped 
Jim.  "I'll  find  some  way  of  squaring  our 
accounts.'' 

"Hallo!"  he  cried  in  an  undertone  a  moment 
later.     "Now  what  do  you  think  of  that?" 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Berwick  in  alarm. 

"Look  there  on  the  wharf." 

"By  the  beard  of  Neptune!  You're  right!" 
exclaimed  Berwick,  dropping  his  oars  in  his  sur- 
prise, and  nearly  capsizing  the  boat  as  he  grabbed 
for  one. 

"Easy  there,  old  fellow,"  cautioned  Jim*  "re- 
member I  haven't  got  my  bathing  suit  on." 

"What  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  wonderful  is 
he  doing  there?" 

"Looks  as  if  he  was  taking  a  nap,"  said  Jim. 
"Sh!  Don't  wake  him!"  as  Berwick  with  his 
hand  to  his  mouth  was  about  to  call.  "We'll 
crawl  up  on  him  and  take  him  by  surprise." 

"Make  him  think  old  Broome  has  got  him," 
chuckled  the  engineer. 

Berwick  pulled  the  boat  gradually  up  to  the 


t 

44         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

wharf,  and  after  making  fast,  the  two  conspira- 
tors climbed  up  on  to  the  wharf  and  crept  toward 
the  unsuspecting  Juarez,  as  has  already  been  told 
in  the  opening  chapter  of  this  book. 

Juarez  had  not  recognized  his  antagonist,  and 
struggled  furiously.  The  two  rolled  and  tumbled 
about  on  the  floor  of  the  wharf,  there  being  no 
time  or  opportunity  for  any  explanation.  Ber- 
wick, who  had  watched  the  outcome  of  the  "sur- 
prise" with  amusement,  thinking  it  had  gone  far 
enough,  was  about  to  interfere,  when  Jo  and 
Tom,  who  had  come  up  unobserved,  threw  them- 
selves into  the  melee,  and  in  a  trice  had  Jim  secure 
and  powerless  to  move. 

"Whew!"  panted  Juarez.  "That  was  a  close 
call." 

"I  told  you  to  watch  out!"  declared  Jo.  "But 
it  isn't  Broome." 

"Jo!  Tom!"  called  Berwick,  who  was  shaking 
with  laughter  at  the  turn  the  affair  had  taken. 
He  stepped  out  of  the  shadow  where  he  had  been 
hiding. 

"Hallo!"  cried  Tom,  suspiciously.  "Who 
is  it?" 

"It  is  I,  John  Berwick,"  responded  the  engi- 
neer, between  peals  of  laughter.     "Better  let  your 


WHEREIN    ARE    SEVERAL    SURPRISES  45 

captive  up,  but  keep  out  of  his  reach.     It's  Jim." 

"Jim!"  exclaimed  Jo  and  Tom  together.  "What 
is  Jim  doing  here?" 

"Just  giving  Juarez  a  little  surprise  party," 
explained  Berwick. 

Promptly  while  still  talking  the  boys  had  re- 
leased Jim,  who  got  on  his  feet  sputtering  and 
angry. 

"Hold  on,  Jim,"  expostulated  Berwick.  "It's 
all  your  own  fault.  You  brought  it  on  yourself. 
But,  I  say,  Juarez,  where  did  you  come  from?" 

"Just  came  on  from  home,"  said  Juarez. 
"Thought  I'd  give  you  a  surprise." 

"You  did  all  right,"  laughed  Berwick.  "It 
seems  to  have  been  a  surprise  party  all  around. 

"Ho!"  cried  Jo,  "that  ain't  all,  we've  got  a 
bigger  surprise  yet." 

"What  is  that?" 

"What  do  you  say  to  a  trip  to  the  South  Seas 
and  a  search  for  a  treasure  island?" 

"For  a  what?" 

"What  are  you  talking  about?"  demanded  Jim, 
who  had  been  slowly  recovering  his  good  humor. 

"A  trip  to  the  South  Seas,"  reiterated  Jo. 

"I  say,"  interposed  Berwick,  "I  thought  you 
said,  Jim,  that  the  first  thing  you  were  going 


46         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

to  do  was  to  get  dinner.  I  begin  to  feel  a  hollow- 
ness  in  my  interior  that  needs  attention.  Sup- 
pose we  postpone  explanations  until  we  have  had 
something  to  eat." 

"Now,  you're  talking  sense,"  agreed  Tom. 
"And  we'll  hunt  up  the  professor  and  have  him, 
too." 

"The  professor!"  exclaimed  Jim.  "Who 
is  he?" 

"Oh,  the  professor  with  a  name  as  long  as  the 
alphabet,"  replied  Jo.  "He  can  explain  better 
than  we  can." 

"The  professor  with  the  long  name!"  cried 
Jim  and  Berwick  simultaneously.  "What  do 
you  know  about  such  a  man?" 

"Nothing,"  replied  the  boys,  "except  that  he 
has  engaged  us  to  go  on  the  Storm  King  for  a 
treasure  hunt.    What  is  the  matter  with  him?" 

"Well,  that  beats  all!"  said  Berwick  weakly. 

"What's  all  the  palaver  about  anyhow?"  de- 
manded Jo.  "I  thought  we  were  going  to  get 
something  to  eat  before  we  had  any  more  talk." 

"Come  on,"  said  Berwick.  "I  know  I'm 
dreaming,  but  want  to  get  the  dinner  before  I 
wake  up." 

"Where  is  the  professor?"  demanded  Jim. 


WHEREIN   ARE   SEVERAL   SURPRISES  47 

"He's  at  the  Golden  Gate  Hotel,"  answered 
Jo.  "We  all  came  on  together  and  went  to  the 
hotel.  Then  we  came  out  to  hunt  you  up.  We 
were  going  to  get  a  boat  and  row  out  to  the 
Sea  Eagle." 

"Lucky  you  didn't,"  returned  Jim.  "Old  Bill 
Broome  has  got  the  Sea  Eagle  again." 

"He  has !"  cried  Jo  and  Tom  in  consternation, 
"what  did  you  let  him  take  her  for?" 

"That  was  unavoidable,"  volunteered  Berwick. 
"He  has  some  illegal  claim  which  Jim  can't  upset, 
the  lawyers  say." 

"Can't  we  get  her  back  again?"  asked  Juarez. 

"We  certainly  will,"  answered  Jim,  "now  that 
you  are  all  here.  I'm  awfully  glad  to  have  your 
help. 

"Let's  go  and  see  the  professor,"  suggested 
Juarez.     "Perhaps  he  will  help  us  out." 

"Of  course,  he  will,"  said  Tom.  "He'll  know 
just  what  to  do." 

"Which  is  more  than  we  do,"  remarked  Ber- 
wick to  himself. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   PROFESSOR'S   STORY. 

It  was  only  a  short  walk  to  the  Golden  Gate 
Hotel,  where  they  found  that  the  professor  was  in 
his  room.  They  sent  to  him  to  ask  if  he  would 
see  them.  A  moment  later  the  bellboy  returned, 
accompanied  by  a  spare  but  sinuously  built  man 
of  medium  height.  It  was  difficult  to  judge  his 
age,  though  Jim  conjectured  him  to  be  about 
forty.  Still,  he  might  have  been  either  ten  years 
older  or  younger.  He  had  a  sharp  but  pleasant 
face  that  had  been  warmed  to  a  deep  brown  by 
the  ardent  rays  of  the  tropic  sun.  His  moustache 
and  full  beard  in  the  fashion  of  the  day,  was 
dark  brown,  almost  black,  and  was  closely 
trimmed  like  his  hair,  which  was  quite  gray — a 
individual  that  you  would  know  at  once  as  a 
man  that  had  done  somthing  worth  while.  His 
movements  were  deliberate,  but  so  easy  and  grace- 
ful that  there  was  not  a  fraction  of  wasted  effort, 
and  much  quicker  than  they  appeared  to  be.  His 
48 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  STORY  49 

eyes  were  clear  and  penetrating,  and,  as  Juarez 
expressed  it,  "seemed  to  look  right  through  you." 

"That's  the  professor,"  whispered  Jo  to  Jim 
as  the  man  came  into  the  rotunda  where  the 
boys  were  waiting.  "There  isn't  much  of  him, 
but  he's  all  there." 

Coming  toward  them,  he  cast  a  rapid  glance 
over  the  group  that  seemed  to  appraise  them  all 
in  one  moment. 

"You  are  James  Darlington,"  he  said  in  a 
pleasant  drawl,  advancing  to  Jim  with  out- 
stretched hand.  "I  would  recognize  you  any- 
where from  your  likeness  to  your  brothers.  I  am 
very  glad  to  meet  you.  And,"  turning  to  the 
engineer. 

"Mr.  Berwick,"  answered  Jim.  "He  is  the 
chief  engineer  of  the  Sea  Eagle." 

"Glad  to  know  you,  Mr.  Berwick,"  said  the 
professor.  "I  suppose,  Mr.  Darlington,  that 
these  young  gentlemen  have  told  you  about  my 
expedition.  Not  yet.  Oh,  by  the  way,  have  you 
dined  ?  No  ?  So  much  the  better.  Neither  have 
I,  so  we  will  have  dinner  first  and  our  talk  later." 

"But,"  objected  Jim. 

"Objection  overruled,"  returned  the  professor 


50         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH   SEAS 

promptly.    "You  are  my  guests  to-night.    I  hope 
you  are  hungry." 

"No,"  replied  Berwick,  "we  are  way  beyond 
that.    We're  starved." 

"Then  we  won't  delay  any  longer,"  returned 
the  professor  with  a  low  laugh  that  was  pleasant 
to  hear,  and  leading  the  way  to  the  dining  room. 

"Shall  I  order  the  meal?"  he  asked,  when  they 
were  seated  at  the  table.  "There  are  some  dishes 
they  have  here  that  I  can  specially  recommend." 

"All  right,"  said  Tom.  "I'm  ready  to  tackle 
anything." 

When  the  meal,  during  which  all  reference  to 
the  purpose  which  had  brought  them  together  was 
strictly  tabooed,  was  over,  the  professor  invited 
them  to  his  rooms  and  told  them  to  make  them- 
selves at  home,  and  he  would  explain  the  purpose 
he  had  in  view. 

"Now,"  began  the  professor,  settling  himself 
in  a  big  chair  and  lighting  a  curious  looking  pipe, 
"where  shall  I  start?" 

"That's  a  queer  looking  pipe,"  interjected  Tom, 
who  had  been  regarding  the  object  with  a  good 
deal  of  interest. 

"It  is  a  little  odd,"  agreed  the  professor.  "What 
do  you  think  it  is?" 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  STORY  51 

"Looks  like  a  skull  of  some  kind,"  ventured 
Jim. 

"Not  a  bad  guess,"  replied  the  professor.  "It 
is  part  of  the  skull  of  an  ophidian." 

"An  o'  what?"  ejaculated  Tom. 

"Not  an  owat,"  corrected  the  professor,  "but 
a  giant  ophidian  of  palazoic  times." 

"Gracious!"  cried  Tom.  "I  thought  it  was 
something  awful,  but  I  didn't  suppose  it  was  as 
bad  as  that." 

"I  suppose  there  is  a  story  connected  with  it," 
said  Berwick. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  professor,  "rather  a  tragic, 
though  a  common  enough  one  in  that  region." 

"We  would  like  to  hear  it,"  suggested  Jo. 

"Well,"  began  the  professor  slowly,  "imagine 
if  you  can  the  depth  of  a  tropical  jungle  with  a 
wilderness  of  tangled  vegetation,  of  arching 
palms  and  giant  forms  whose  fronds  sway  in  the 
air  high  above  a  man's  head.  Through  this 
tangle  there  creeps  a  naked  savage  intent  on  the 
hunt  for  some  animal  upon  which-  he  can  feed. 
In  front  of  him,  pendulous  from  an  over  hang- 
ing branch  there  falls  a  rounded  body  like  a 
mighty  cable,  whose  green  and  yellow  colorings 
mix  in  with  those  of  bush  and  tree.    As  the  sav- 


52         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

age  creeps  beneath,  there  is  a  sudden  motion  in 
the  cable.  It  comes  to  life  and  coils  about  the 
^man. 

"With  a  shrill  cry  of  fear,  the  man  tries  to 
unloosen  the  deadly  folds,  grasping  the  slimy 
serpent  about  the  throat  in  a  desperate  clutch. 
But  all  in  vain.  They  writhe  and  struggle,  but 
neither  relax  their  hold,  and  they  fall  to  the 
ground  beneath  the  arching  palms. 

"The  seasons  come  and  go.  The  ferns  and 
palms  die  and  bury  the  snake  and  his  victim 
beneath  the  fallen  leaves  and  floods  bring  down 
the  waste  from  the  hills  and  cover  them  more 
completely." 

"My  goodness !"  cried  Tom.    "Did  you  see  it?" 

"Not  actually,". answered  the  professor.  "All 
that  happened  a  long  time,  years,  centuries,  aeons, 
perhaps,  ago.  What  I  know  is  that  one  day  on 
making  an  excavation  we  found  the  two  skele- 
tons, that  of  the  man  and  the  snake  in  such  a 
position  as  to  indicate  the  story  I  have  told  you. 
I  picked  up  the  skull  and  the  fancy  took  me 
to  have  it  mounted  and  made  into  a  pipe.  But 
that  isn't  getting  on  with  the  business." 

"Are  you  a  zoologist?"  asked  Berwick. 

"No,"  replied  the  professor.     "I  suppose  you 


THE  PROFESSORS  STORY 


53 


are  thinking  of  my  title.  I  use  that  because  peo- 
ple generally  know  me  better  that  way,  and — " 
he  smiled  broadly — "it's  easy  to  say.  I  am  a 
mineralogist — a  mining  engineer.  I  got  the  title 
of  professor  from  a  college  back  East  where  I 
lecture  occasionally  on  mineralogy  and  petrol- 
ogy. People  haven't  time  to  write  my  name 
though  it's  not  so  difficult  to  pronounce." 

"Sure  enough,"  said  Jim.  "I  do  not  know  your 
name  yet." 

"Let  me  write  it  for  you,"  said  the  professor. 
And  taking  a  sheet  of  paper  this  is  what  he 
penned. 

Featheringstonehaughleigh. 
i     "You  will  always  be  just  plain  professor  to 
me,"  determined  Jim,  and  there  was  a  general 
laugh. 

"To  resume,"  went  on  the  professor,  "for  the 
past  three  or  four  years  I  have  been  down  in  the 
South  Sea  Islands  prospecting.  Acting  for  an 
English  syndicate  which  had  an  idea  that  there 
were  some  gold  or  silver  mines  that  could  be 
developed." 

"Did  you  find  any?"  questioned  Jim. 

"None  that  were  worth  while,  but  while  I  was 
there   I   came  across   an  old   sailor   who  had   a 


54         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

story  of  a  fabulously  rich  mine  that  was  located 
on  one  of  the  islands.  He  didn't  know  just 
where,  and  had  been  hunting  for  it  for  a  good 
many  years,  traveling  from  island  to  island  in 
his  quest." 

"Couldn't  he  find  it?" 

"All  he  had  to  guide  him  was  a  rudely  drawn 
map  of  the  island  that  was  located  somewhere 
in  the  Southern  seas.  He  worked  all  alone,  for 
he  was  afraid  to  share  his  secret  with  any  for 
fear  that  they  would  kill  him  to  get  it  all." 

"Are  they  as  bad  as  that  down  there?"  asked 
Tom. 

"About  as  bad  as  they  are  made,  a  good  many 
of  them  are,"  replied  the  professor.  "But,  to 
get  on  with  my  story,  it  happened  that  I  was 
enabled  to  do  him  a  good  turn  on  one  occasion, 
and  he  confided  his  secret  to  me.  I  tried  to 
help  him  to  find  the  island,  but,  as  the  longitude 
and  latitude  were  rather  vague,  we  couldn't 
locate  it.  I  helped  him  all  I  could,  and  when 
he  was  taken  down  with  the  fever,  just  before 
he  died  he  gave  me  the  map  on  the  condition 
that  if  I  found  the  mine  I  would  share  with  his 
family,  which  I  agreed  to  do." 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  STORY  55 

"Do  you  think  there  was  any  foundation  for 
his  story?"  asked  Jim. 

"I  think  there  is.  At  least  I  thought  there 
was  enough  in  it  to  give  up  my  work  for  the 
syndicate  and  organize  an  expedition  to  hunt  for 
it.  It  seems,  according  to  Brook's  story,  John 
Brook  was  his  name,  that  his  father  when  a 
young  man  was  a  sailor  on  an  English  vessel. 
On  one  of  his  voyages,  his  ship  was  captured 
by  pirates  and  the  crew  were  made  prisoners. 
They  were  carried  to  the  pirates'  lair  on  an  island 
away  from  the  usual  track. 

"Here,  those  who  did  not  join  the  pirates  were 
compelled  to  do  all  the  rough  work  about  the 
place.  As  there  was  no  means  of  getting  away 
from  the  island  except  by  the  pirates'  vessel,  they 
were  not  kept  very  close  watch  of,  and  were 
allowed  the  freedom  of  the  place.  This  island,  it 
would  seem  from  his  description,  was  of  volcanic 
origin,  and  had  a  mountainous  ridge,  several  hun- 
dred feet  in  height  at  one  end.  As  this  part  of 
the  island  was  exceedingly  rough  and  rocky  it 
had  no  attraction  for  the  pirates,  who  kept  to 
the  low  ground  along  the  shore. 

"In  one  of  his  rambles  about  the  island  the 
sailor  came  upon  a  ravine  leading  up  into  the 


56         FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

mountain,  and  he  followed  it  up  to  where  it 
ended  in  a  fissure  in  the  rocks.  He  was  curious 
to  see  what  the  inside  looked  like,  and  returning 
another  day,  entered  the  fissure,  which  lead  into 
a  large  cavern,  where,  according  to  his  story,  the 
walls  were  glittering  with  gold." 

"Fool's  gold,"  interjected  Berwick. 

"So  I  thought  at  first,"  responded  the  pro- 
fessor, "but  Brooks  said  that  his  father  picked 
up  a  half  dozen  nuggets  ranging  in  size  from 
that  of  a  bullet  to  that  of  a  walnut.  He  seems, 
like  his  son,  to  have  been  a  secretive  sort  of  a 
man,  for  he  kept  his  discovery  from  his  ship- 
mates. From  time  to  time  he  made  visits  to  the 
mine  as  he  had  opportunity,  gathering  the  nug- 
gets, which  he  kept  concealed  about  his  person 
until  he  had  accumulated  a  considerable  store, 
hoping  that  some  time  he  would  be  able  to  make 
his  escape,  which,  with  several  of  his  companions, 
he  was  finally  able  to  do." 

"How  did  he  manage  to  get  away  ?"  asked  Jo. 

"It  seems,  from  the  story,  that  he  and  some 
of  his  shipmates,  having  procured  a  small  boat, 
which  they  secreted  at  the  mountainous  end  of 
the  island,  and  stocked  with  provisions,  they  set 
out  on  a  dark  and  stormy  night  when  there  was 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  STORY  57 

less  chance  of  detection.  The  storm  developed 
into  a  gale  which  they  ran  before,  and  whicn 
drove  them  many  miles,  bringing  them  into  the 
course  of  trading  vessels,  one  of  which  a  day  or 
so  later,  picked  them  up  and  landed  them  in  a 
Chilian  port.  Here  Brooks  sold  a  nugget  and 
got  money  enough  to  get  home.  On  his  return 
he  talked  much  of  the  mine,  and  drew  a  map  of 
it  for  his  son,  who  started  out  in  search  of  it." 

"How  did  he  expect  to  find  it  when  he  didn't 
know  its  location?"  questioned  Jim. 

"He  had  it  figured  out  something  like  this. 
The  place  where  they  were  picked  up  by  the 
vessel  was  about  latitude  9  south,  longitude  129 
west.  Now,  when  they  were  picked  up  they  had 
been  driving  for  some  thirty-six  hours  before  a 
southwest  wind  at  not  less  than  fifteen  knots 
an  hour.  This  would  make  about  five  hundred 
and  forty  miles  they  had  come  from  the  island, 
which  must,  therefore,  lie  somewhere  between 
five  or  six  hundred  miles  to  the  southwest." 

"I  should  think  that  would  be  the  spot  where 
he  would  look  for  it,"  said  Juarez. 

"That  is  what  he  did,  and  so  have  I,"  was  the 
reply,  "but  we  were,  neither  of  us,  able  to 
locate  it." 


58         FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS 

"Do  you  think  it  really  exists  ?"  asked  Jim. 

"I  am  quite  certain  of  it,"  answered  the  pro- 
fessor. "At  any  rate,  I  am  going  to  make  an- 
other attempt,  and  I  want  you  to  go  along  with 
me." 

"What  do  you  want  with  us  ?"  questioned  Jim. 

"Well,"  replied  the  professor,  slowly,  "I  need 
some  efficient  help,  and  I  have  had  my  eye  on 
you  boys  for  some  time.  I  had  heard  of  you, 
that  you  were  thoroughly  trustworthy  and  could 
be  depended  upon  in  any  emergency,  and  I  de- 
cided that  you  were  just  the  kind  of  companions 
I  wanted.  But  I  may  as  well  tell  you  right  at 
the  start  that  this  is  not  going  to  be  a  picnic 
party;  we  are  going  to  have  our  work  cut  out 
for  us,  and  plenty  of  it,  so  if  you  go  along  you 
are  likely  to  see  some  pretty  exciting  times  before 
we  get  through." 

"That  don't  scare  us  any,"  put  in  Jo. 

"I  didn't  think  it  would,"  the  professor  went 
on,  "and  if  it  turns  out  as  I  believe  it  will,  we 
shall  all  have  all  the  money  we  need  for  the  rest 
of  our  lives." 

"But  why  should  you  take  us  in?"  persisted 
IJim. 

"Why,  if  we  should  succeed  in   finding  the 


THE  PROFESSOR  S  STORY 


59 


treasure,"  the  professor  explained,  "it  would  be 
a  great  temptation  to  those  who  learned  of  it  to 
use  any  means,  fair  or  foul,  to  get  possession  of 
it.  That  is  one  of  the  reasons  I  want  you.  I  feel 
that  I  can  depend  upon  you  through  and  through." 

"I  think  you  can,"  responded  Jim  quietly,  but 
not  the  less  emphatically.  "What  we  say  we  are 
ready  to  stand  by." 

"I  am  quite  sure  of  it.  Now,  the  proposition  I 
have  to  make  is  this :  I  will  finance  the  expedi- 
tion, taking  all  the  risk.  Now  wait" — to  Jim, 
who  was  about  to  interrupt.  "If  we  succeed  I 
will  take  one-half  of  what  we  get.  Out  of  my 
half  I  will  provide  for  Brook's  family.  The 
other  half  I  will  divide,  one  quarter  for  you  and 
one  quarter  to  the  crew.  How  does  that  strike 
you?" 

"That's  fair  enough,"  agreed  the  boys. 

"Should  we  fail,  I  will  pay  you  for  your  time." 

"Oh,  we'll  take  our  chances  on  that,"  broke  in 
Jo.  "We'll  get  enough  fun  out  of  the  trip  to  pay 
for  that." 

"When  do  you  want  to  start?"  asked  Jim. 

"I'm  ready  now.  If  you  are,  I  think  we  can 
get  off  within  a  day  or  two." 


60         FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS 

"I  would  like  to  go  with  you,"  went  on  Jim, 
"but  there  is  something  I  would  like  to  attend  to 
first." 

"May  I  ask  what  that  is?"  inquired  the  pro- 
fessor. 

Whereupon  Jim  told  him  of  the  seizing  of  the 
Sea  Eagle,  and  of  the  abduction  of  the  Senorita 
de  Cordova. 

"Broome!"  exclaimed  the  professor,  when  Jim 
had  concluded,  "is  that  old  rascal  mixed  up  in 
that?" 

"Do  you  know  him?"  asked  Jim  in  turn.    , 

"A  little,"  replied  the  professor,  dryly.  "He 
tried  to  work  off  some  of  his  little  tricks  on  me, 
but  I  wasn't  to  be  caught  napping.  Do  you  hap- 
pen to  know  a  particular  friend  of  his,  one  called 
Manuel  ?" 

"Ugh!"  broke  in  Berwick.  "Don't  speak  of 
that  incarnation  of  wickedness  or  I  shall  begin  to 
smell  brimstone.  I'd  rather  contend  with  his 
satanic  majesty,  himself." 

The  professor  made  no  comment,  but  asked, 
"Have  you  any  plans?" 

"Nothing  definite,"  answered  Jim,  "except  to 


THE  PROFESSOR  S  STORY 


61 


get  to  the  place  where  the  girl  is  to  be  returned 
and  see  that  the  bargain  is  carried  out." 

"Good!"  agreed  the  professor.  "That  is  the 
first  step,  of  course.  Now,  if  you  want  us,  I  and 
my  boat  are  at  your  service." 

Jim  sprang  to  his  feet.  "Oh,  thank  you!"  he 
exclaimed  enthusiastically,  "we  shall  be  ever  in- 
debted." 

"Don't  mention  it,"  returned  the  professor.  "I 
have  a  little  score  to  settle  with  Broome,  myself. 
I  have  reason  to  think  he  is  after  me.  In  some 
way  he  has  found  out  about  the  mine  and  the 
map  that  I  have  and  he  is  ready  to  resort  to  any 
measures  to  get  possession  of  it.  So  you  think 
San  Matteo  is  the  place  appointed?" 

"I  feel  sure  of  it." 

"Where  are  you  stopping?"  continued  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"At  the  Commercial  Hotel,"  replied  Jim. 

"Well,  then  we  won't  waste  anymore  time. 
Suppose  you  meet  me  at  the  foot  of  Market  street 
tomorrow  morning  at  six  o'clock.  We  will  then 
go  on  board  of  the  Storm  King  and  be  ready  to 
take  up  the  chase  at  once  if  the  emergency  arises. 
It  is  late  now,  too  late  for  you  to  go  aboard,  so  I 


62        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

will  arrange  for  Jo  and  Tom  to  stay  here  tonight 
Then  to  Jim  and  Juarez  he  added  I 

"Good-night,  and  remember  tomorrow  it's  six 
o'clock  sharp." 

"Good-night,"  responded  those  addressed. 
"We'll  be  there." 

A  room  adjoining  that  occupied  by  the  pro- 
fessor was  secured  for  the  boys  and  their  baggage 
was  brought  up  from  the  office  where  it  had  been 
temporarily  deposited. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE    STORM    KING. 


It  was  still  lacking  a  few  minutes  of  the  hour 
named  when  Jim,  Juarez,  and  Berwick,  who  did 
not  intend  to  be  left  out  of  the  venture,  arrived 
with  their  handbags  at  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of 
Market  street.  The  professor  had  not  yet  arrived. 
The  sun  had  risen  above  the  hills,  and  the  place 
was  in  heavy  shadow.  Putting  down  their  bags 
upon  the  wharf,  the  boys  walked  to  the -water 
edge  and  began  a  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the 
boats  at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  They  were  soon 
joined  by  Jo  and  Tom. 

Unobserved,  a  dwarfish  figure  stole  noiselessly 
from  the  shadow,  and  seizing  upon  the  nearest 
bag— it  was  Jim's — he  ran  swiftly  down  the 
wharf.  No  so  quickly,  however,  as  to  escape  the 
watchfulness  of  Juarez,  who,  to  make  up  for  the 
dereliction  of  the  previous  evening,  was  especially 
alert.  With  a  shout  of  alarm  to  the  others,  Juarez 
set  off  at  once  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  figure,  which 
63 


64        FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

had  already  disappeared  around  a  corner.  Jim 
and  Tom  followed  more  leisurely,  depending 
upon  Juarez  to  run  down  the  culprit.  Berwick 
and  Jo  remained  as  a  guard  over  the  rest  of  their 
baggage. 

"What  happened?"  cried  Jo. 

'That  villain,  Manuel,"  replied  Berwick.  "He 
has  made  off  with  Jim's  handbag.  He  seems  to 
be  everywhere  at  once." 

"Juarez  will  catch  him,"  said  Jo,  confidently. 

"I  hope  so,"  returned  Berwick,  "but  an  eel  has 
nothing  on  him  for  slipperyness." 

And  so  it  proved,  for  the  others  came  strag- 
gling back,  one  by  one,  without  having  found 
any  trace  of  the  Mexican  or  the  bag. 

"That's  rather  an  unauspicious  beginning  to 
our  trip,"  commented  Berwick.  "Did  you  have 
anything  of  importance  in  your  bag,  Jim?" 

"Nothing  but  my  clothes,"  replied  Jim,  rue- 
fully. "But  it's  bad  enough  having  him  carry 
them  off  right  in  front  of  us.  That's  another 
score  I  have  to  settle  with  him." 

"He  will  be  carrying  some  of  us  away,  if  we 
aren't  careful,"  put  in  Jo. 

"Hallo,  look  there!  What  in  the  name  of 
goodness  is  that  coming?"  cried  Juarez,  indicat- 


THE   STORM    KING.  65 

ing  a  strange  object  which  was  advancing  down 
the  wharf. 

Seen  in  the  half-light  of  the  morning,  it  seemed 
to  consist  principally  of  arms  and  legs  which  were 
wildly  waving  in  the  air." 

"Looks  like  a  big  devil  fish,"  cried  Tom.  "Bet- 
ter look  out,  boys." 

But  as  it  came  nearer  it  resolved  itself  into 
two  figures,  one  of  which,  the  larger,  was  carry- 
ing the  smaller,  which  latter  was  squirming  and 
struggling  in  an  effort  to  escape. 

"It's  the  Professor!"  cried  Juarez,  "but  what 
the  mischief  has  he  got  there?" 

"That's  it !"  cried  Jim,  joyfully.  "He's  got  the 
'mischief  himself.     It's  Manuel." 

"Hurrah!"  exclaimed  Jo  and  Tom,  running 
forward  to  meet  him.    "Where  did  you  get  him  ?" 

"You  will  find  your  bag  back  upon  the  wharf," 
explained  the  professor,  when  he  came  near,  hold- 
ing the  snapping,  snarling  object  up  in  the  air 
with  a  vicelike  grip  on  the  waistband  of  its  trous- 
ers. "And  mine,  too,"  he  added,  as  the  boys 
started  off  on  a  run  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"I  caught  this  viper  sneaking  along  with  a  bag 
that  I  knew  did  not  belong  to  him,  and  that  I  took 
to  belong  to  some  of  you.    What  do  you  think 


66        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

we  had  .better  do  with  this  thing?"  indicating 
Manuel. 

"I  think,"  observed  Berwick,  "we  had  better 
take  it  on  board  with  us  and  put  it  in  a  cage  like 
any  other  wild  beast/' 

"Not  a  bad  suggestion,  that,"  agreed  the  pro- 
fessor. "That's  about  the  best  thing  we  could 
do  with  him." 

But  with  a  sudden  twist  the  wily  Mexican 
slipped  from  his  loose  trousers,  leaving  the  gar- 
ment in  the  professor's  grasp. 

"Hi — stop  him!"  shouted  Jo,  making  a  futile 
attempt  to  seize  him. 

But  with  an  inarticulate  snarl  of  rage,  the 
Mexican  made  a  headlong  plunge  from  the  wharf 
into  the  water,  disappearing  from  sight. 

"Ugh!"  exclaimed  the  professor,  holding  up 
the  empty  trousers.  "He's  shed  his  skin  like  the 
snake  he  is.  He  had  better  take  them  along," 
tossing  them  into  the  water. 

"We  will  get  him  when  he  comes  up,"  cried 
Tom. 

But,  although  the  boys  ran  along  the  string 
piece  of  the  wharf  looking  for  him  to  reappear, 
they  saw  nothing  more  of  him.  An  officer  in 
uniform  was  called  and  told  of  the  circumstances. 


THE    STORM    KING.  Q 

After  watching  for  some  time  they  were  obliged 
to  conclude  that  the  villainous  Mexican  had  at 
last  met  his  just  desert. 

"Well,"  remarked  Jo,  at  length,  "I  guess  we 
have  seen  the  last  of  him." 

"I  sincerely  hope  so,"  returned  Berwick,  "but 
that  fellow  has  more  lives  than  a  cat." 

"There  -doesn't  seem  to  be  any  use  of  waiting 
any  longer,"  said  the  professor.  "He  doesn't 
seem  to  be  coming  back.  There  is  nothing  we 
can  do  and  we  may  as  well  go  on." 

By  this  time  the  sun  was  up,  and  the  wharf 
was  beginning  to  be  astir  with  people.  The  boat- 
men were  coming  and  going  over  the  bay,  intent 
on  business.  Hailing  one  of  the  larger  boats, 
which  was  rowed  by  two  Hawaiians,  the  pro- 
fessor asked  them  if  they  could  carry  the  party 
out  to  the  yacht." 

"Si,  senor,"  replied  one  of  the  rowers.  "Take 
you  all;  no  sink  the  boat." 

Although  the  boat  sank  nearly  to  the  gun- 
wales when  they  were  all  on  board,  and  they  were 
uncomfortably  crowded,  still  the  water  was  calm 
and  the  trip  to  the  yacht,  which  was  anchored 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  out,  was  made  without 
any  mishap. 


68        FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  my  ship?"  asked 
the  professor,  when  they  drew  up  alongside  the 
Storm  King. 

"She's  as  pretty  as — as — "  began  Jo. 

"As  a  picture,"  added  Tom. 

"As  a  pink,"  supplemented  Juarez. 

"As  she  can  be,"  finished  Tom. 

"Wait  until  you  gQt  on  board,"  interposed  the 
professor. 

"We  have  been  on  board,"  put  in  Jim. 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  the  professor.     "When?" 

"Yesterday,"  replied  Jim.  "Berwick  and  I 
called  on  the  captain.  We  thought  perhaps  we 
could  secure  her  for  our  trip." 

"That  expresses  your  opinion,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor with  a  laugh.  "You  wouldn't  have  wanted 
her  unless  you  thought  she  was  pretty  good." 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Jim.  "She  looked  good 
to  me." 

"Good  morning,  captain,"  called  the  professor 
to  Captain  Wilkins,  who  was  standing  by  the 
gangway  waiting  to  receive  them.  "I  have  brought 
out  some  young  men  who  are  going  to  show  us 
how  to  sail  the  yacht." 

"Good  morning,  professor,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain.    "Same  to  you,  gentlemen.     They  say  you 


THE    STORM    KING.  69 

can't  teach  an  old  dog  new  tricks,  but  I  think 
it  is  never  too  late  to  learn.  If  you  have  any 
new  tricks  of  seamanship  I  shall  be  glad  to  learn 
them." 

'That's  only  a  joke  of  the  professor's  captain," 
replied  Jim.  "All  we  know  js  enough  to  stand 
watch,  and  do  our  trick  at  the  wheel  if  need  be." 

"Well  said,  lad,"  responded  the  captain,  heart- 
ily.   "Are  you  going  to  make  a  voyage  with  us?" 

"Yes,"  replied  the  professor,  "they  are  booked 
for  the  trip.  Now,  how  soon  do  you  think  we 
can  get  away?" 

"Well,  now  that  depends,"  replied  the  captain, 
rubbing  his  chin,  thoughtfully.  "Did  you  bring 
the  new  engineer  along  with  you?" 

"The  new  engineer?"  asked  the  professor. 
"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Don't  you  know,  sir,"  replied  the  captain, 
"Mr.  Ward  has  gone?  'Twas  day  before  yester- 
day he  went  ashore,  and  when  he  came  back  he 
had  another  man  with  him.  Said  he  had  a  better 
job,  and  was  going  to  leave.  Said  this  other  man 
was  going  to  take  his  place.  Thought  he  had  it 
all  arranged  with  you." 

"The  first  I  have  heard  of  it,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor. 


70        FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"I  told  him  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  went 
on  the  captain.  "If  you  said  it  was  all  right, 
it  was  all  right." 

"So,  we  haven't  any  engineer,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor. "That's  awkward.  I  suppose  we  shall 
have  to  lose  a  lot  of  time  while  we  hunt  up 
another." 

"Why  not  Mr.  Berwick?"  suggested  Jim.  "He's 
a  first  class  engineer,  and  he  wants  to  go  with 
us  anyway." 

"Why,  of  course,"  replied  the  professor. 
"Never  thought  of  that.  How  stupid  of  me. 
How  is  it,  Mr.  Berwick,  will  you  take  the  place?" 

"Suits  me  to  the  dot,"  replied  the  engineer. 
"Wanted  to  go  along,  and  glad  to  be  of  use." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Berwick.  Suppose  you  take 
hold  at  once  and  look  things  over." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  replied  Berwick.  "Lucky 
I  brought  my  traps  along."  Picking  up  his  bag 
he  descended  into  the  engine  room  followed  by 
Juarez. 

"Well,  how  is  it?"  inquired  the  professor,  when 
Berwick  came  on  deck  again  a  little  later. 
"Everything  all  right?" 

"Indeed  no,"  replied  Berwick.  "Looks  as  if 
somebody  had  been  tampering  with  the  engine. 


THE   STORM    KING.  71 

Lot  of  loose  bolts  and  nuts.  If  she  had  been 
started  up  there  would  have  been  a  pretty  smash- 
up.  However,  I  think  two  or  three  hours'^  work 
will  put  it  all  right. " 

'That  must  be  some  of  Broome's  work,  I  sup- 
pose," commented  the  professor.  "Bribed  the 
engineer.  You  see  what  we  have  ahead  of  us, 
boys.  Go  ahead  and  do  the  best  you  can,  Mr. 
Berwick.  But  I  suppose  we  had  better  have 
breakfast  first.  Got  anything  to  eat  on  board, 
captain?" 

"Fully  provisioned,  sir,"  replied  the  captain.  "I 
told  your  steward  that  you  would  want  breakfast 
and  I  think  he  has  it  ready." 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  the  professor.  "That 
seems  to  be  the  next  thing  in  order." 

A  handsome,  and  what  was  more  important,  a 
very  competent  man,  the  steward  proved  to  be. 
The  professor  explained  that  ever  since  his  early 
youth  Pedro  had  been  in  his  employ,  and  his 
father  before  him  for  many  years. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  JOURNEY   BEGINS. 

"Well,  boys,"  said  the  professor,  "have  you 
had  enough  breakfast?" 

"I  don't  know  whether  I  have  had  enough  or 
not,"  responded  Jo.  "But  I'm  afraid  I  can't  eat 
any  more." 

"That's  bad,"  remarked  the  professor.  "I'm 
afraid  there  is  something  wrong  with  you.  Still, 
if  you  go  on  deck,  perhaps  you  will  be  better 
by  dinner  time.  But  while  we  are  down  here  you 
might  pick  out  your  staterooms.  This  is  the  cap- 
tain's room,  and  this  is  mine.  That  is  the  engi- 
neer's room.  But  you  can  take  any  of  the  others 
you  want." 

Looking  over  the  rooms  about  which  there  was 
really  little  choice,  Jo  and  Tom  selected  one  to 
their  liking,  and  Juarez  decided  on  the  invitation 
of  John  Berwick  to  room  with  him  as  he  was 
going  to  act  as  assistant  engineer  on  the  voyage. 
This  left  Jim  with  a  cabin  to  himself. 
72 


THE   JOURNEY   BEGINS.  73 

The  boys  had  but  just  settled  the  matter  when 
they  were  startled  by  a  series  of  loud  and  angry 
exclamations  from  the  professor. 

"Now,  what  do  you  think  of  that?"  he  cried, 
when  the  boys  rushed  into  the  saloon  where  he 
was  standing  holding  up  his  handbag  in  which  a 
long  slit  had  been  cut  with  a  sharp  knife. 

"Their  audacity  passes  all  bounds!"  he  went 
on  wrathfully.     "They  have  got  it  at  last." 

"What  is  lost?"  asked  Jim. 

"The  chart,  the  map  of  the  island,"  replied  the 
professor.  "I  don't  know  as  it  will  do  any  one 
else  much  good.  Besides  the  points  of  the  com- 
pass it  has  only  mystifying  figures  on  it,  but  it's 
a  bad  loss  for  all  that." 

"Are  you  sure  it  is  gone?"  asked  Jim. 

"Well,  it  isn't  here,"  replied  the  professor. 
"Fortunately,  I  can  remember  the  latitude  and 
longitude,  which  is  really  the  important  thing." 

"What  was  the  paper  like  ?"  put  in  Tom. 

"It  was  just  a  rude  chart,"  answered  the  pro- 
fessor. "It  was  in  a  flat  box.  I  put  it  in  the  box 
to  keep  it  safe  from  getting  wet  or  worn  out.  I 
got  tired  of  carrying  it  with  me  so  I  put  it  in  the 
bag  last  night,  not  intending  the  bag  should  get 
out  of  my  sight.    And  I  don't  know  when  it  did." 


74        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Looks  as  if  we  had  spies  all  around  us/'  said 
Jim. 

"It  certainly  does,"  agreed  the  professor.  "But 
now  that  we  are  on  the  yacht  we  will  be  safe."* 

"Humph!"  muttered  Tom,  who  had  just  re- 
turned to  the  cabin  after  a  moment's  absence,  "I'm 
not  so  sure  about  that,  but,"  he  continued,  "was 
the  box  anything  like  this  ?"  He  held  up  to  their 
gaze  a  thin  oblong  tin  box. 

"Why,  it  looked  like  that !"  exclaimed  the  pro- 
fessor, taking  the  box  Tom  offered  to  him. 
"Why,  it  is  it !    What  are  you  doing  with  it  ?" 

"I  found  it  in  my  bag  this  morning,"  explained 
Tom.  "I  thought  that  it  belonged  to  Jo,  and 
that  he  hod  dropped  it  in  by  mistake." 

"I  suspect  that  is  just  what  I  did  in  an  absen- 
minded  spell  this  morning,"  said  the  professor. 
"The  joke  is  on  me,  boys.  Perhaps  it  is  a  lucky 
thing  that  I  did  it,  for  I  think  now,  seeing  this 
slit  in  my  bag  that  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to 
have  you  take  care  of  it  for  me." 

"Don't  you  think  you  had  better  keep  it  ?"  pro- 
tested Jim. 

"Not  after  this  experience,"  replied  the  pro- 
fessor, holding  up  the  cut  bag.  "Besides,  I  think 
it  will  be  decidedly  safer  with  you." 


THE  JOURNEY  BEGINS.  75 

"Very  well,  then,"  replied  Jo.  "We  will  do 
our  best  to  take  care  of  it." 

"I  know  that,"  said  the  professor. 

Jo  and  Tom  spent  the  morning  going  over  the 
yacht  getting  acquainted  with  its  equipment  and 
with  the  crew.  The  latter  were  mostly  Hawaiians 
with  one  Irishman,  an  Englishman  and  the  Mexi- 
can steward.  Juarez  was  busy  down  in  the  engine 
room  with  Berwick,  and  Jim  and  the  professor 
were  in  consultation  in  the  cabin  over  their  plans 
to  outwit  Broome. 

"The  Marjorie  of  Liverpool,"  remarked  Tom. 
The  speaker  was  standing  on  the  after  deck  study- 
ing the  vessels  in  the  harbor.  He  read  the  name 
he  spoke  through  a  pair  of  binoculars.  It  was  a 
small  steamship  anchored  not  far  from  the  Storm 
King.  They  had  passed  it  early  in  the  morning 
on  their  way  to  the  yacht,  but  he  had  not  noticed 
it  particularly  until  now. 

"I  wonder  where  she  came  from,  and  where 
she  is  going?"  went  on  Tom. 

"From  Liverpool,  I  suppose,"  replied  Jim, 
who  had  joined  them,  "and  quite  likely  she  is 
going  back  again." 

"Wonder  how  she  got  way  out  here?"  con- 
tinued Tom. 


76        FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"You  are  full  of  wonder  to-day,"  laughed  Jim. 
"Steamships  go  anywhere  and  everywhere.  Here 
comes  the  captain.    We  can  ask  him." 

"What  is  it  you  want  to  know  ?"  inquired*  the 
captain,  who  had  overheard  Jim's  remark. 

"We  were  just  talking  about  that  steamship 
there,  the  Marjorie,  and  speculating  as  to  what 
she  is  and  what  she's  doing  here." 

"It's  pretty  hard  to  tell  that,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain, after  taking  a  look  through  the  glasses. 
"She's  English  built  and  rigged,  that's  certain, 
but  I  don't  know  what  she's  doing  so  far  from 
her  home  port." 

"She  has  good  lines  and  looks  as  though  she 
might  have  speed,"  criticized  Jim. 

"Ay,,  ay,  lad,  ye're  right  there,"  agreed  the 
captain.  "She  looks  like  a  cross  between  a  yacht 
and  a  trader.  I  suspect  that  is  what  she  is,  a 
trader." 

"She  seems  to  have  a  big  crew  for  a  trader," 
said  Jim,  who  had  been  studying  the  vessel  while 
talking.  "And  she  looks  as  though  she  might 
carry  a  pretty  heavy  armament,  too." 

"Have  you  noticed  that  ?"  observed  the  captain. 
"Ye  have  a  good  eye,  lad,  and  a  quick  mind.  I 
was   just   thinking   the   same  thing  myself.     I 


THE   JOURNEY   BEGINS.  77 

wouldn't  wonder  if  she  was  doing  some  contra- 
band trade  down  the  coast.  I  see  she  is  going  out, 
soon." 

"How  do  you  know  ?"  asked  Jo. 

"She  is  getting  steam  up/' 

"So  is  the  Sea  Eagle,"  exclaimed  Tom.  "They 
have  started  their  fires.  She  must  be  going  out, 
too." 

"Looks  like  it,"  put  in  Jo.  "There  is  Broome 
now,  with  some  of  his  men." 

Pulling  along  close  under  the  stern  of  the  Mar- 
jorie,  there  was  seen  a  small  boat  in  which  was 
Captain  Broome  with  his  chief  subordinates. 

"See  anything  of  Manuel  in  their  boat?"  asked 
Jo. 

"No,"  replied  Tom.  "He  isn't  in  the  boat. 
They  must  have  left  him  behind." 

"He  must  have  been  drowned,"  said  Jo. 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  Tom,  "but 
it  is  certain  he  isn't  in  the  boat;  there  are  four  men 
besides  the  captain  and  on  top  of  their  other  bag- 
gage is  a  big  hamper." 

"How's  the  engine,  Mr.  Berwick?"  asked  the 
professor  of  the  engineer,  calling  down  into  the 
engine  room. 


78        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"All  right  now,  sir,"  replied  the  engineer.  "We 
are  just  going  to  get  up  steam." 

"Very  good,"  said  the  professor.  "Keep  it 
up,  for  we  may  want  to  start  any  minute.  Keep 
your  eyes  on  the  Sea  Eagle,  captain,  and  let  us 
know  if  she  shows  signs  of  getting  under  way." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  responded  the  captain. 

"Feel  any  better  now,  Jo  ?"  asked  the  professor, 
with  a  smile,  it  is  pretty  near  time  to  eat  again." 

"I'm  all  right  again  now,  professor,"  responded 
Jo. 

"Better  get  ready  then,  for  I  hear  Pedro  rat- 
tling the  dishes  down  there." 

"I  think" — began  Tom,  when  they  were  down 
in  their  staterooms  taking  a  washup  before  the 
noon  meal 

"That  it  is  time  for  dinner,"  interrupted  Jo. 

"No,  sonny,"  replied  Tom.  "My  thoughts  are 
not  as  your  thoughts,  always  on  the  gross  ma- 
terial, but — ."  Going  to  the  door,  he  called  Jim 
into  the  room.  Then,  after  a  look  into  the  saloon, 
closed  the  door. 

"Hist!"  whispered  Jo.     "The  plot  thickens." 

"What  is  it  now,  Tom?"  asked  Jim. 

"I  think" — began  Tom,  in  a  low  tone. 


THE   JOURNEY    BEGINS.  79 

"You  said  that  before,"  interrupted  Jo.  "But 
I  don't  believe  it." 

"That  it  would  be  a  good  plan,"  continued 
Tom,  "to  hide  the  chart  in  some  safe  place." 

"Not  half  a  bad  idea,  don't  you  know,"  drawled 
Jo,  "but  where  is  that  safe  place?"    • 

"I  have  an  idea,"  went  on  Tom. 

"Clutch  it  before  it  gets  away,"  advised  Jo. 

"That  we  can  make  a  secret  closet  where  we 
can  put  it." 

"That  is  a  good  scheme,"  agreed  Jim,  "if —  " 

"Hear!    Hear!"  broke  in  Jo. 

"Here,  as  well  as  anywhere,"  replied  Tom. 

"What  is  your  plan?"  asked  Jim. 

"I  was  thinking  of  making  a  secret  drawer  or 
closet  in  this  cabin." 

"Do  you  think  we  could  do  it?"  asked  Jo. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Jim.  "We  can  tell 
better  after  we  try.    The  proof  of  the —  " 

"Eating  is  in  the  pudding,"  interrupted  Jo. 

"Let's  go  ahead  and  do  it." 

"Where  do  you  think  is  a  good  place  to  make 
it?"  asked  Tom,  looking  around  the  room,  which 
was  paneled  in  mahogany.  "We  might  take  up 
a  board  in  the  floor." 


80        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"But  some  one  might  get  at  it  from  under- 
neath/' objected  Jo. 

"No  danger  of  that,"  replied  Tom.  "Who  is 
going  to  look  for  it?" 

"Well,  if  there  is  no  danger  of  anyone  look- 
ing for  it,  what  is  the  use  of  hiding  it  ?"  demanded 

Jo. 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Jim.  "If  we  are  going 
to  do  it  at  all,  let's  do  it  thoroughly.  If  we  can 
take  out  one  of  the  panels,  we  can  make  a  dandy 
place." 

"That's  the  idea,"  chimed  in  Tom. 

"I  think  we  can  take  out  one  of  these  panels," 
continued  Jim,  examining  the  wainscoating  care- 
fully, "but  we  must  first  get  the  professor's  per- 
mission." 

"We  will  ask  him  the  first  thing  after  dinner," 
cried  Tom. 

"And  there  is  dinner,  now,"  said  Jo,  as  the 
sound  of  a  gong  resounded  through  the  air. 

The  professor  was  an  interesting  dinner  com- 
panion, and  even  though  all  felt  that  serious  busi- 
ness was  ahead  of  them,  no  reference  was  made 
thereto.    At  the  conclusion  of  the  meal  Jo  said: 

"Professor  Feather — " 

"Ingstone,"  broke  in  Jim. 


THE   JOURNEY   BEGINS.  81 

"Haughleigh,"  added  Tom. 

"I'm  all  broke  up,"  laughed  the  professor. 

"Can  we  make  a  hiding  place  in  one  of  our 
staterooms?"  asked  Jo. 

"Why,  I  suppose  so,"  replied  the  professor. 
"What  do  you  want  to  do,  play  hide  and  go 
seek?" 

"In  a  way,"  laughed  Jim.  "We  want  to  make 
a  secret  place  in  which  to  keep  the  chart." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  interrupted  the  professor  quickly. 
"By  all  means." 

"You  see,  we  can —  " 

"That  will  do,"  returned  the  professor  with 
another  laugh.  "If  you  are  going  to  make  a 
secret  place  the  fewer  who  know  of  it  the  more  it 
is  of  a  secret.     Keep  it  to  yourselves." 

"Even  from  you?" 

"From  every  one,"  said  the  professor  empha- 
tically. "If  you  need  any  tools  or  anything  get 
them  quietly. 

The  brothers  lost  no  time,  but  at  once  set  about 
making  a  place  of  concealment.  Jim,  who,  of 
the  three  had  the  more  genius  for  mechanics, 
taking  the  initiative  in  the  work,  studying  care- 
fully the  artistically  constructed  paneling  to  settle 
upon  a  plan. 


82        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Do  you  think  it  can  be  done  so  that  it  won't 
be  seen  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"Yes,"  decided  Jim.  "I  think  so.  By  taking 
off  this  moulding,  we  can  saw  through  the  edge 
of  the  panel,  put  on  leather  hinges,  and  I  can 
make  a  spring  catch.  Then  replace  the  moulding 
and  it  will  never  show." 

"That  will  be  easy,"  asserted  Jo. 

"Glad  you  think  so,"  retorted  Jim.  "It  will 
have  to  be  done  as  nicely  as  the  original  work." 

"When  are  you  going  to  begin  ?" 

"Now,"  answered  Jim.  "Only  one  can  work 
at  a  time,  so  you  may  as  well  go  on  deck. 
I  will  start  the  job.  I  will  take  one  of  the 
panels  near  the  floor.  After  I  have  started,  we 
can  take  turns  at  the  work.  When  we  begin,  we 
want  to  finish  as  soon  as  possible." 

"All  right,"  returned  Jo.     "Let  it  go." 

When  the  others  had  gone,  Jim  secured  from 
the  enginer  such  tools  as  he  needed,  and  return- 
ing to  his  room,  closed  the  door.  He  selected 
a  panel,  and  was  about  to  take  off  the  molding 
when  he  heard  some  one  moving  in  the  cabin. 
Whistling  carelessly  he  opened  the  door  of  his 
room,  but  there  was  no  one  near.  The  steward 
Pedro,  was  busily  employed  at  the  far  end  of 


THE   JOURNEY    BEGINS.  83 

the  room,  and  the  mate  was  just  entering  the 
cabin. 

"Strange,"  mused  Jim.  "There  doesn't  seem 
to  be  anyone  acting  supiciously.  I  was  sure, 
though,  that  there  was  some  one  near  the  door 
just  now."  He  then  called  to  Jo,  and  arranged 
that  he  should  stay  in  the  cabin  on  guard. 

Jim  returned  to  his  task,  and  with  infinite  care 
removed  the  molding  from  the  panel.  Then  he 
called  Tom  below,  and  working  alternately,  in  a 
short  time  they  had  made  the  secret  opening  to 
the  compartment.  As  it  was  between  the  wall 
of  the  stateroom  and  the  planking  of  the  vessel, 
and  being  inaccessible  from  any  other  point,  it 
seemed  absolutely  safe.  The  work  under  Jim's 
direction  had  been  so  deftly  done  that  it  could 
not  be  detected.  It  was  opened  by  pressing  a 
spring  made  of  wire  and  placed  in  an  adjoining 
panel. 

Fastening  the  box  containing  the  chart  with 
a  strong  cord,  it  was  lowered  into  the  aperture 
and  the  cord  fastened  to  a  hook  at  one  side 
of  the  opening. 

"There,"  said  Jo,  when  the  box  had  been  low- 
ered, and  the  place  closed.  "It  will  take  more 
than  a  wizard  to  find  that." 


84        FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"It  looks  that  way,"  agreed  Tom,  "but — " 

"Oh,  you're  a  regular  goat  with  your  buts," 
cried  Jo.     "What  is  the  matter  with  it?"      ,     - 

"Nothing,"  said  Tom.  "It  is  all  right,  but 
some  people  can  see  through  a  stone  wall." 

"Of  course  they  can  if  it  has  holes  in  it,  but 
there  ain't  any  holes  in  this." 

This  task  ended,  they  went  on  deck,  where  they 
found  the  professor  and  the  captain  intently 
watching  the  Sea  Eagle,  which  had  steam  up 
and  seemed  to  be  about  to  get  under  way. 

"I  was  just  going  to  call  you,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor. "I  think  that  the  next  act  is  about  to 
begin." 

"Good !"  cried  Jim.  "Let's  hope  they  will  find 
something  doing  that  is  not  down  on  the 
program." 

"Is'nt  it  rather  late  to  start?"  asked  Berwick, 
who  had  come  out  of  the  engine-room,  leaving 
Juarez  in  charge. 

"Not  if  you  are  ready,"  was  the  professor's 
answer. 

"I  suppose  they  think  they  can  slip  away  from 
us  in  the  dark,"  chuckled  Jim. 

"It  will  be  something  of  a  surprise  if  they  find 
us  at  the  Bay  when  they  come,"  said  Jo. 


THE   JOURNEY    BEGINS.  85 

"Engine  all  right,  Mr.  Berwick?"  asked  the 
professor. 

"Working  splendidly,"  replied  Berwick. 

"Very  well,  then,"  replied  the  professor,  "we 
will  get  off  at  once.  ,1  see  that  the  Sea  Eagle 
is  going  to  start.  Will  you  give  the  word, 
captain  ?" 

The  captain  passed  the  order  to  the  boatswain, 
and  an  instant  later,  the  crew  striking  into  a  chant 
began  to  wind  up  the  anchor  chain,  and  in  a  few 
moments  came  the  call : 

"Anchor  apeak,  sir!" 

"Anchor's  fast!"  called  the  boatswain. 

"Ready  at  the  wheel,"  directed  the  captain 
from  the  bridge,  where  he  was  standing  with  the 
professor.  The  captain  rang  the  bell  in  the  engine 
room,  the  propeller  revolved,  slowly  at  first,  then 
more  quickly,  and  the  Storm  King,  gathering 
momentum,  was  headed  through  the  channel's 
mouth  for  the  open  sea.  The  voyage  had  begun. 
Anticipations  and  hopes  ran  high.  What  would 
the  outcome  be? 

"My,  but  it  is  good  to  get  the  smell  of  the 
salt  again,"  cried  Tom. 

He  and  Jo  were  standing  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  taking  in  long  breaths  of  the  salt  air  which 


86        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

blew  in  their  faces.  The  spray  from  the  waves, 
as  they  curled  away  from  the  bow,  dashed  over 
them. 

"And  there  is  better  still  to  come,,,  added  Jo. 

"Why,  here  comes  the  Marjorie,"  cried  Tom. 
"We  are  all  moving  out  at  once." 

The  party  on  board  the  Storm  King  had  been 
so  much  interested  in  getting  under  way  and  in 
watching  the  Sea  Eagle,  that  they  had  forgotten 
the  other  vessel  until  Tom  had  noticed  it  follow- 
ing in  their  wake  about  a  mile  behind.  Gaining 
the  open  sea,  much  to  the  surprise  of  those  on 
board  the  Storm  King,  the  Sea  Eagle  was  headed 
directly  to  the  north  under  full  speed,  the  heavy 
volume  of  smoke  from  her  funnel  trailing  behind 
like  a  cloud. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


A    PLOT. 


It  was  true  that  the  Marjorie  was  following 
in  the  wake  of  the  other  ships,  and  some  word 
respecting  her  mission  will  be  of  interest  to  the 
reader. 

Our  scene  is  once  more  the  office  of  that  legal 
adviser  of  unsavory  reputation,  to  whom  earlier 
reference  has  been  made. 

"  I  have  some  work  for  you  to  do,  Captain 
Beauchamp." 

The  lawyer  leaned  back  in  his  revolving  chair 
and  watched  the  other  man  with  coldly  critical 
eyes. 

"A'm  glad  teh  hear  it,  sun,"  replied  the  other 
in  a  soft  southern  drawl. 

The  two  men  were  sitting  in  the  inner  sanc- 
tum of  Attorney  Reynolds*  office.  Unobserved, 
there  was  lying  in  a  half  opened  drawer  of  the 
desk,  and  within  easy  reach  of  his  hand  a  fully 
loaded  revolver.  There  were  but  few  of  his  clients 
87 


88        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

that  the  lawyer  received  with  the  drawer  closed. 

"Ah,  what  is  it  like?"  the  captain  went  on,  after 
a  short  pause,  shifting  his  position  to  a  more 
easy  one. 

The  captain  was  tall  and  slender,  with  a  habit- 
ual slowness  of  movement  that  could  be  changed 
on  occasion  to  a  tiger-like  celerity.  His  face  was 
thin,  with  sharply  cut  features,  and  dusky  brown 
in  color.  His  eyes  were  black  and  deeply  set 
beneath  heavy  black  eyebrows,  and  a  long, 
sweeping,  black  moustache  hid  a  thin  straight- 
lipped  mouth. 

"Do  you  know  the  Marjorie?"  went  on  the 
lawyer. 

"Ah  regret  ah  have  not  the  pleasure  of  the 
lady's  acquaintance,"  drawled  the  captain. 

"Formerly  the  Mercury,  of  nowhere  in  partic- 
ular," added  the  lawyer. 

The  other  man  started  up  with  a  sudden 
interest. 

"What  about  her?"  he  asked. 

"I  asked  if  you  knew  her,"  the  lawyer  went  on. 

"Ah  reckon  ah  do,"  replied  the  captain  with  a 
sigh.     "Ah  never  sailed  a  better  boat,  sir !" 

"How  would  you  like  to  sail  her  again  ?" 

The  captain  started  up  eagerly,  and  then  sank 


A   PLOT.  89 

back  again.  "Ah  reckon  there's  no  such  luck 
for  me." 

'There  may  be,"  returned  the  lawyer,  with 
emphasis  on  the  may. 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  the  other  quickly. 

"I  have  a  bit  of  work  I  want  done,"  said  the 
lawyer  slowly.  "If  you  do  it  and  do  it  right,  the 
command  of  the  Marjorie  is  yours." 

"Ah'm  yoh  man,"  answered  the  captain.  "What 
is  it?" 

"Nothing  very  difficult.  Do  you  know  the 
Senor  de  Cordova?" 

"No.     Never  heard  of  him.     Who  is  he?" 

"A  very  wealthy  Mexican,  the  owner  of  ? 
big  sugar  plantation  in  Cuba." 

"Ah  see.  Yoh  want  me  to  capture  him  and 
hold  him  foh  ransom?" 

"You  are  half  right,"  replied  the  lawyer.  "Lis- 
ten. Five  days  ago,  his  daughter,  the  Senorita 
Marie,  was  captured  by  Bill  Broome.  Within  the 
next  two  or  three  days  she  will  be  surrendered 
upon  the  payment  of  five  thousand  dollars. 

"And  ah'm  to  crap  the  five  thousand?" 

"No,  wait.  The  money  is  to  be  paid  over  at 
Mendola." 

"Ah  know  the  place,  on  San  Matteo  Bay." 


90        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"That's  it.  Now,  I  want  you  to  pick  up  the 
Senor  and  his  daughter  and  take  them  on  board 
the  Marjorie — " 

"What  is  yoh  plan?" 

"With  a  few  men  of  your  own  choosing  you 
will  take  the  San  Matteo  trail  and  meet  them  as 
they  come  back.  It  should  be  no  great  thing  to 
take  them." 

"Ah  reckon  not.  And  what  am  ah  to  do  with 
them?" 

"Take  them  on  the  Marjorie." 

"And  then?" 

"That  is  for  you  to  decide,"  replied  the  lawyer. 
"Whatever  you  like.  All  that  is  desired  is  that 
they  do  not  come  back.     You  understand?" 

"Perfectly.  Yoh  can  be  shuah  they  won't  trou- 
ble anyone  any  mo'." 

"Oh,  they  don't  trouble  me  any,"  responded 
the  lawyer.  "This  is  a  government  matter.  He 
is  shipping  guns  and  ammunition  into  Cuba.  We 
represent  the  Cuban  revolutionists." 

"Ah  see,"  the  captain  laughed.  "Yoh  repre- 
sent the  government."  He  was  about  to  say  more 
but  thought  better  of  it,  but  his  thought  was — the 
government  is  looking  for  that  sugar  plantation. 


A    PLOT.  91 

"If  you  do  this  and  make  no  blunder,  the  Mar- 
jorie  may  be  yours." 

"So,"  mused  the  captain.  "The  plantation  is 
bigger  than  I  thought." 

"She  is  fully  provisioned,'  went  on  the  lawyer, 
and  the  old  armament  is  all  aboard,  stowed  away 
in  the  hold.    You  can  pick  up  a  crew  I  suppose?" 

"Ah  reckon  ah  can,  if  any  of  the  old  boys  are 
around.  Ah'll  take  a  look  down  around  the  Bar- 
bary  coast." 

"Then  you  understand  the  first  thing  you  have 
to  do?" 

"Ah  reckon  ah  do." 

"Now,  do  you  know  Professor  Feathering- 
stone —  ?" 

"Never  mind  the  rest,"  the  captain  broke  in. 
"Yoh  mean  a  mining  sharp  that  was  down  in  the 
South  Seas?" 

"That's  the  man.  Broome  says  that  he  has  a 
chart  of  a  treasure  island  which  lies  down  that 
way,  and  he  is  going  down  to  locate  it." 

"Broome  is?" 

"No,  the  professor.  Broome  has  been  trying 
to  get  hold  of  the  chart,  but  hasn't  been  able. 
Now,  the  professor  is  going  out  to  search  for  the 


92        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

treasure  in  the  Storm  King.  He  has  a  lot  of 
boys,  the  Frontier  Boys,  they  call  them." 

"Ah  have  heard  of  them,"  said  the  captain, 
thoughtfully. 

"Perhaps,"  suggested  the  lawyer,  "after  you 
have  captured  the  senor,  you  might  follow  the 
Storm  King  and  get  the  chart." 

"Ah  see,"  returned  the  captain,  "but,"  shaking 
his  head,  "that  will  be  difficult." 

"Not  so  difficult  when  you  know  the  arrange- 
ments made.  There  will  be  on  board  the  Storm 
King  a  friend  of  yours.  He  is  to  secure,  if  he 
can,  the  chart.  All  the  particulars  of  the  arrange- 
ment you  will  find  in  this  letter.  Read  it  care- 
fully and  follow  out  every  detail." 

"Anything  more?" 

"Yes.  Here  is  the  contract.  You  will  read 
carefully  and  sign." 

The  captain  laughed,  grasping  without  hesita- 
tion a  pen.  He  read  not  a  word,  but  laboriously 
penned  his  name  at  the  point  indicated. 

"And  now?"  he  said. 

"That  is  all.  Here  is  an  order  to  Samson  & 
Co'.,  to  turn  the  ship  over  to  you.  A  prosperous 
future  to  you,  captain." 

"And  to  yoh,  suh." 


A    PLOT.  93 

The  two  men  looked  each  other  in  the  face  for 
a  moment,  then  the  captain  silently  took  his 
departure. 

On  leaving  the  lawyer's  office,  Captain  Beau- 
champ  went  at  once  to  the  office  of  Samson  &  Co., 
where,  on  presentation  of  the  order,  the  Marjorie 
was  turned  over  to  him.  Thence  to  the  Barbary 
coast,  where  he  had  little  difficulty  in  picking  up 
the  crew  he  needed,  including  a  man  of  his  own 
type  as  mate.  These  he  sent  on  board  at  once. 
The  engineer  was  ordered  to  get  everything  in 
readiness  for  immediate  departure.  To  the  mate 
he  gave  directions  that  on  the  following  after- 
noon he  should  set  out  for  Playys,  a  small  harbor 
near  San  Matteo  Bay,  and  there  await  his  coming. 

Selecting  two  of  the  crew  upon  whom  he  could 
rely,  the  captain  hired  a  team  of  horses  and  a 
driver  and  set  out  upon  the  road  to  San  Matteo. 
They  traveled  without  incident,  stopping  over 
night  at  a  hotel  on  the  way,  until  they  came 
within  about  a  mile  of  San  Matteo.  Here  the 
driver  with  his  horses  was  sent  back,  they  pro- 
ceeding the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot. 

San  Matteo  Bay  is  a  point  at  which  it  will 
be  seen  many  interests  are  centering. 


CHAPTER  X. 


AT   SAN    MATTEO    BAY. 


"I  thought  you  said  that  the  rendezvous  was 
somewhere  in  the  South,"  drawled  Berwick. 

He  was  standing  with  Jim  and  the  professor 
on  the  after-deck  of  the  Storm  King,  watching 
away  in  the  north  the  fast  disappearing  Sea  Eagle. 

"So  I  did,  and  so  it  is,"  answered  Jim  stoutly. 
"That  heading  to  the  north  is  only  a  ruse  on 
Broome's  part  to  lead  us  in  the  wrong  direction." 

"Hope  you  are  right,  but — "  returned  Ber- 
wick, leaving  the  sentence  significantly  unfinished. 
"I  am  going  down  to  the  engine-room  again.  Let 
me  know  if  anything  new  transpires." 

"Which  way  shall  I  lay  our  course,  sir  ?"  asked 
the  captain,  coming  up  to  where  the  others  were 
standing. 

The  professor,  before  replying,  looked  at  Jim 
inquiringly. 

"To  the  South!"  insisted  Jim. 

"South  it  is  then,"  directed  the  professor. 
94 


AT   SAN    MATTEO    BAY.  95 

"South  it  is,"  answered  the  captain,  going  back 
to  the  bridge. 

"We  will  keep  on  that  course  until  morning," 
added  the  professor.  "And  as  there  is  a  fair 
breeze  blowing  we  will  proceed  under  sail.  Ask 
Mr.  Berwick  to  bank  the  fires  in  the  boiler." 

It  was  now  dusk.  The  stars  were  showing  in 
the  sky,  and  the  lights  of  the  Sea  Eagle  were  lost 
in  the  mist  on  the  horizon. 

For  awhile  the  voyagers  sat  around  on  the  deck 
listening  to  the  professor's  stories  of  his  experi- 
ences in  the  South  Seas,  but  it  had  been  a  long 
and  arduous  day  and  they  soon  began  to  grow 
weary. 

"I  think,"  began  Tom,  in  a  pause  in  the  talk, 
suppressing  a  yawn.  "I  think  I  shall  turn  in  until 
tim-e  for  my  watch."  It  had  been  arranged  that 
some  one  of  the  four  should  always  be  on  deck. 

"A  very  sensible  idea,"  agreed  the  professor;  "I 
think  we  will  all  be  better  for  a  good  night's  rest." 

Without  incident  of  note,  all  through  the 
night  the  Storm  King  sped  on  her  way  south. 

The  party  were  all  on  deck  early  the  next  morn- 
ing. It  seemed  on  looking  around  that  they  were 
alone  on  the  wide  sweep  of  water.  Way  off  to 
the  west  the  sails  of  a  vessel  showed  white  like 


96        FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  wings  of  a  bird  on  the  horizon,  and  far  away 
to  the  north  was  a  blur  from  the  smoke  o£  a 
steamer. 

It  was  well  along  in  the  morning  when  the  bold 
headline  of  the  cliff  that  marked  the  entrance  to 
San  Matteo  Bay  came  into  view,  and  it  was  mid- 
dle afternoon  when  the  yacht  glided  into  the  bay 
and  sought  an  anchorage. 

"Broome,"  said  the  captain,  "knows  this  har- 
bor as  he  knows  his  cabin,  but  I  am  not  familiar 
with  any  part  except  that  near  the  entrance.  It's 
full  of  rocks  farther  in,  and  I  will  anchor  under 
the  lea  of  these  northern  cliffs  where  I  know  there 
is  sufficient  depth  of  water." 

The  harbor  covered  an  area  of  several  square 
miles,  and  there  was  to  be  seen  only  one  other 
vessel,  a  small  lugger  which  lay  close  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  bay. 

"Well,"  remarked  Berwick,  looking  about  the 
harbor.  "Our  piratical  friend  Broome  doesn't 
seem  to  have  kept  the  appointment  you  made  for 
him,  Jim." 

"Not  yet,"  replied  Jim,  "but  there  is  still  time 
enough." 

"And  you  still  hold  to  the  opinion  this  is  the 
place?"  asked  the  professor. 


AT    SAN    MATTEO    BAY.  97 

"I  may  be  mistaken,"  replied  Jim,  "but  I  don't 
believe  I  am.  In  any  case  the  morning  will  deter- 
mine. I  am  for  going  ashore  then,  and  will  inves- 
tigate." 

Watches  were  set  for  the  night,  and  for  each 
interval  of  two  hours  one  of  the  boys  was  on 
duty.  Tom  was  on  deck  during  the  darkest  period 
between  two  and  four,  and  shortly  before  the 
latter  hour  he  noted  at  a  distance,  although  he 
could  not  see  the  ship,  the  noise  of  machinery, 
and  felt  sure  that  a  newcomer  had  entered  the 
harbor. 

None  were  surprised  at  early  dawn  to  observe 
the  Sea  Eagle  riding  quietly  at  anchor  well  to- 
ward the  inner  shore  of  the  harbor,  and  some 
two  and  one-half  miles  distant. 

Alongside  of  the  Sea  Eagle  was  a  boat  of  non- 
descript appearance,  the  one  they  had  seen  the 
night  before,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  masters 
of  the  two  ships  had  business  of  importance  in 
hand. 

"By  Jove,  old  fellow/'  cried  Berwick,  address- 
ing Jim,  "you  were  right  after  all.  It  is  her,  all 
right.    We  had  better  be  getting  ready." 

"Better  go  fully  armed,"  advised  the  professor. 
"You  know  that  they  are  a  pretty  tough  lot." 


98        FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Tough  enough,"  agreed  Berwick,  "but  I  think 
we  can  take  care  of  ourselves.  I  am  not  afraid 
to  tackle  anyone  except  that  fiend  of  a  Mexican. 
He  is  so  little  and  slippery  that  I  never  feel  quite 
safe  when  he  is  around." 

"I  think  we  have  seen  the  last  of  him,"  put 
in  Tom. 

"Perhaps,"  doubted  Berwick,  "but  I  don't  be- 
lieve it.    He's  got  more  lives  than  a  score  of  cats." 

"Will  you  need  any  help  from  the  crew  or 
myself?"  asked  the  professor. 

"No,"  replied  Jim,  "I  think  we  can  take  care 
of  the  situation,  and  beside,"  he  laughed,  "some- 
one will  have  to  look  after  this  yacht  or  Broome 
will  be  getting  away  with  her. 

"He  will  have  a  jolly  good  time  doing  it," 
asserted  the  professor.  "By  the  way,  Mr.  Ber- 
wick, you  might  attach  a  hose  to  the  boiler  so 
we  can  give  them  a  warm  reception  if  they  try  to 
come  on  board." 

"What  are  your  plans,  Jim,"  the  professor 
asked. 

"First  and  foremost  to  see  that  the  compact 
for  the  surrender  of  their  prisoner,  the  Senorita, 
is  carried  out.  Beyond  that  I  must  be  guided  by 
circumstances." 


AT    SAN    MATTEO    BAY.  99 

"While  Captain  Broome  is  ashore  with  his 
men  may  be  your  opportunity  to  get  back  your 
ship." 

"I  have  that  in  mind,  but  any  move  now  before 
she  is  free  would  add  to  the  peril  of  the  young 
girl" 

While  they  had  been  talking,  the  long-boat  had 
been  lowered  and  was  now  alongside  the  gang- 
way. 

"All  aboard,''  directed  Jim. 

Each  member  of  the  party  was  armed  with  a 
rifle  and  a  revolver.  It  took  but  a  moment  for 
the  five  to  get  into  the  boat.  Jim  and  Juarez 
took  the  oars. 

"Where  are  you  going  to  land,  Jim,"  asked 
Berwick,  who  had  taken  the  tiller.  "It  won't 
do  to  venture  very  close  to  the  Sea  Eagle." 

"The  first  point  where  we  can  find  a  landing 
place  on  the  north  shore.  They  will  hardly  see 
us  at  this  distance." 

"Just  over  here  is  a  good  place,"  suggested 
Tom,  indicating  a  break  in  the  rocky  cliff  where 
the  land  sloped  down  to  the  water. 

It  was  only  a  short  pull  to  the  shore,  and  ten 
minutes  later  the  boat  was  run  up  on  a  sandy 
beach,  and  the  comrades  disembarked.     Making 


100     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  painter  fast  to  a  large  rock,  the  party,  under 
the  lead  of  Jim,  set  out  for  the  other  end  of  the 
harbor. 

It  was  slow  moving  through  the  tangled  under- 
brush, and  nearly  two  hours  were  consumed  in  a 
roundabout  trip  which  brought  them  to  a  point, 
where,  themselves  unobserved,  a  close  and  distinct 
view  of  the  Sea  Eagle  and  the  lugger  was  obtain- 
able. 

Everyone  on  board  the  two  boats  was  busily 
engaged  in  the  task  of  transferring  from  the 
lugger's  hold  numerous  boxes,  cases  and  casks, 
which  were  «being  stored  aboard  the  Sea  Eagle. 

Berwick  clutched  Jim's  arm.  "See,"  he  gasped, 
"on  the  afterdeck !    What  did  I  tell  you  ?" 

"Manuel,"  muttered  Jim,  with  almost  a 
shudder. 

"It  means  trouble,"  grumbled  Berwick. 

"Nonsense,"  responded  Jim.  But  there  was 
lacking  the  usual  tone  of  assurance  in  his  voice. 
He  looked  at  his  brothers  and  Juarez.  No  one 
spoke.  All  seemed  imbued  with  the  same  feel- 
ing of  inexpressible  nervous  concern.  Was  it  a 
foreboding  of  some  impending  danger? 

Very  silently  now  the  party  pushed  on,  and  a 
little  later  they  were  able  to  get  a  good  view  of 


AT    SAN    MATTEO    BAY.  101 

the  stretch  of  land  occupying  the  space  between 
the  water's  edge  and  the  foot  hills,  which  were  a 
full  mile  away. 

It  was  a  level  plain  with  a  few  large  eucalyptus 
trees  of  considerable  growth  clustered  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  shore. 

One  particularly  large  tree  of  the  group  at- 
tracted Jim's  attention,  and  indicating  this  one,  he 
announced : 

"That  is  where  the  meeting  will  be  held." 

The  others  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  To 
them  the  trees  all  looked  alike. 

"How  do  you  know?"  they  chorused. 

"See  the  birds  flying  about?"  There  were  flying 
through  the  air  a  number  of  birds.  Occasionally 
some  of  them  lit  for  an  interval,  but  never  upon 
the  tree  Jim  had  pointed  out. 

"But  what  of  that?"  asked  Tom. 

"There  is  some  one  in  that  tree,"  explained 
Jim.  "That  is  why,  as  you  will  notice,  the  birds 
alight  on  the  other  trees,  but  never  upon  that  one." 

Observing  for  a  continuous  period  the  actions 
of  the  birds  their  maneuvers  seemed  to  confirm 
Jim's  theory. 

"This  then,"  determined  Jim,  "is  our  place  of 
observation  when  it  comes  to  the  surrendering  of 


102     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  Senorita  and  the  paying  of  the  ransom.  We 
cannot  be  seen  here,  but  can  get  quickly  into  ac- 
tion  and  upon  the  scene  if  there  is  need." 

"We  have  the  place  of  ambush,"  said  Berwick, 
"and  the  next  thing  to  find  out,  if  we  can,  is,  when 
the  villains  are  to  complete  the  transaction." 

"For  that  purpose  I  am  going  to  attempt  to 
hunt  out  the  senor,  and  try  to  secure,  if  possible, 
an  interview  with  him." 

Jim  had  noticed  that  a  faintly  marked  trail  led 
inland  from  the  shore,  and  a  short  way  up  the 
nearest  hill  was  seen  a  low  bungalow  with  out- 
buildings which  Jim  concluded  was  a  way-house 
or  inn,  and  the  likely  stopping  place  of  the  Senor. 

"What  are  we  to  do?"  asked  Tom. 

"You  four  remain  here  on  guard  and  fire  two 
shots  in  quick  succession  if  I  am  wanted." 

Saying  this,  Jim  strode  away  in  the  direction 
of  the  foot  hills,  but  sheltered  the  while  from  ob- 
servation by  the  forest  and  underbrush. 

It  was  as  Jim  surmised.  On  the  veranda  of 
the  inn  sat  the  senor  intently  reading  a  book.  As 
Jim  approached,  no  other  person  was  in  sight. 

"Buena  diaz,  Senor,"  called  Jim. 

Instantly  the  Senor  sprang  to  his  feet,  observ- 


AT   SAN    MATTEO   BAY.  103 

ing  Jim  for  the  first  time  and  facing  him  with  a 
stern,  uncompromising  look. 

"So  you  are  concerned  in  this  evil  venture, 
you — " 

"On  the  contrary,"  broke  in  Jim,  himself  great- 
ly surprised.     "I  have  come  to  help  you." 

"I  have  no  need  of  help,"  asserted  the  Senor, 
unbending  not  the  least,  suspicion  in  his  voice. 

Jim  was  staggered  for  a  moment  and  at  a  loss 
for  words.  Here  was  an  obstacle  he  had  not 
thought  of.    Finally  he  ventured  the  inquiry : — 

"You  have  not,  however,  recovered  your  daugh- 
ter, the  Senorita?" 

"No." 

"And  until  you  do,  I  assure  you,  there  is  grave 
danger." 

Something  in  Jim's  tones  seemed  to  impress 
the  Senor  with  his  sincerity,  and  his  future  speech 
indicated  the  return  of  confidence. 

"My  daughter  is  abducted.  By  whom,  I  know 
not.    How  did  you  know  of  this?" 

"Just  by  chance,"  replied  Jim.  "But  tell  me 
about  the  capture?" 

"But  I  know  nothing,"  protested  the  Senor. 
"She  went  out  and  came  not  back.  Then  I  got 
word    that    these    men, — these — "    the    Senor 


104     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

stopped.     "They  warned  me  to  say  nothing  or 
that  they  would  kill  her." 

"Unless  you  paid  them  so  much  money,"  added 
Jim. 

"And  you  know  that,  too.  It  was  much — five 
thousand  dollars — but  that  is  nothing  if  I  have 
my  daughter  safe  again.  You  think  they  will 
come?" 

"I  think  they  will  try  to  get  the  reward,"  said 
Jim,  cautiously. 

"And  if  they  do  not  come,  you  will  help  me 
find  her?"  the  Senor  asked,  looking  into  Jim's 
face. 

"Assuredly,"  responded  Jirn.  "But  tell  me 
about  the  arrangements  you  have  made." 
'  The  Senor  glanced  about,  then  walked  with 
Jim  a  little  distance  from  the  inn.  There  was  no 
apparent  need  for  the  precaution,  for  there  was 
no  one  to  be  seen  about  the  place. 

"At  five  o'clock  today,  at  an  appointed  spot,  a 
tree  below  here,  I  am  to  be  met  by  someone  who 
will  receive  the  money." 

"Yes,"  said  Jim,  "and  you  already  have  your 
men  perched  in  the  branches  of  the  tree." 

The  Senor  made  an  exclamation  of  intense 
surprise. 


AT   SAN    MATTEO   BAY.  10-5 

"It  is  the  large  eucalyptus  on  the  margin  of 
the  grove,"  continued  Jim. 

"Yes.    Yes.    You  seem  to  know  all." 

"All  I  must  know  to  aid  you  effectively,"  said 
Jim,  earnestly.  "You  speak  about  the  money,  but 
your  daughter,  what  of  her?" 

'That  is  arranged.  She  is  to  be  seen  by  me 
before  the  money  is  given  up.  She  is  to  be  near 
at  hand.  I  am  to  see  her,  it  is  promised,  sitting 
in  a  small  boat  near  the  shore,  and  in  the  care  of 
a  good  woman  who  has  been  her  companion." 

Jim  could  not  restrain  a  laugh.  The  idea  of 
applying  any  such  word  as  "good  wornan"  to  the 
virago  on  board  the  Sea  Eagle. 

"Captain  Broome's  sister?"  suggested  Jim,  in- 
quiringly. 

"Captain  Broome's  sister,"  repeated  the  Senor. 
"It  is  not  possible.  The  captain  is  a  comrade,  a 
friend,  engaged  by  me  to  carry  arms  and  arma- 
ment to  my  confreres  in  Cuba.  Ah,  what  am  I 
saying  to  you,  James  ?  My  secret,  in  my  anxiety 
for  my  daughter,  my  secret  I  have  told,  you  must 
not  repeat  or  disclose." 

"Your  secret  is  safe,  Senor,  but  your  daughter 
is  on  board  the  Sea  Eagle  now,  and  Broome, 
whatever  he  may  be,  is  not  to  be  trusted." 


106     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE  SOUTH   SEAS. 

"I  am  amazed.  It  is  true  the  Sea  Eagle  is  in 
the  harbor.  So  I  was  told  by  the  innkeeper  this 
morning.  But  I  knew  for  what  purpose,  and  I 
was  glad  to  think  that  someone  was  near  on 
whom  I  could  rely  in  case  of  need.  Then  I  have 
my  trusted  man,  as  you  surmised,  in  the  tree  to 
give  aid  if  called  upon.  But  how  know  you  all 
and  so  many  of  these  things?" 

"Perhaps  I  know  more.  You  arranged  all  the 
plans  through  a  certain  lawyer  in  San  Francisco  ?" 

"Yes.    Yes." 

"And  he  sold  you  out." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"That  he  plotted  with  Broome  to  get  your 
daughter  into  his  hands,  that  they  might  wring 
another  five  thousand  out  of  you." 

"How  dare  they!"  He  thought  a  few  mo- 
ments, his  face  livid  with  suppressed  rage.  Then 
he  continued,  "They  probably  counted  on  my  in- 
tense interest  in  Cuban  affairs,  of  which  I  told 
you,  to  save  themselves.  But  they  are  mistaken. 
I  will  kill  them  both." 

"Just  now,"  interrupted  Jim,  "we  must  attend 
to  the  business  in  hand." 

"I  put  the  matter  in  your  control." 

"At  the  hour  named,"  suggested  Jim,  "do  you 


AT  SAN   MATTEO   BAY  107 

go  to  the  appointed  place.  I  will  be  in  hiding 
near  at  hand  with  the  others  of  my  party.  There 
will  be  five  of  us/' 

"And  what  am  I  to  do  ?" 

"Do  exactly  as  you  have  planned.  Do  not,  I 
beg  of  you,  vary  one  iota.  Let  your  man  in  the 
tree  know  that  he  must  be  ready  for  quick  action." 

"You  have  ever  my  thanks!"  said  the  Senor. 

Very  carefully,  Jim  went  over  in  anticipation 
every  move  of  the  arrangement.  When  about  to 
take  leave,  the  Senor  wrung  his  hand  expressing 
his  gratitude  and  they  parted.  Jim  rejoined  his 
party  and  found  them  eating  the  lunch  they  had 
brought  with  them  from  the  ship. 

During  the  afternoon  Jim  scouted  around  the 
country  to  the  north  of  them  with  a  result  that 
had  much  bearing  upon  the  future,  but  he  was  on 
hand  with  the  others  long  before  the  appointed 
hour. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ON    BOARD    THE   SEA    EAGLE. 

We  must  now  revert  to  the  afternoon  on  which 
the  redoubtable  Captain  Broome  sailed  from  the 
harbor  of  San  Francisco.  It  will  be  recalled  that 
his  was  the  first  of  the  three  vessels  to  leave  the 
harbor.  The  captain  was  sitting  in  the  cabin  of 
the  Sea  Eagle  in  consultation  with  the  Mexican 
dwarf  whom,  concealed  in  a  hamper,  he  had 
smuggled  on  board.  It  was  their  purpose  to  have 
the  boys  think  that  the  dwarf  had  been  drowned 
at  the  time  he  had  slipped  from  the  professor's 
grasp  and  plunged  into  the  waters  of  the  bay. 

The  captain  was  sitting  in  a  revolving  chair 
in  front  of  the  desk,  whose  top  was  strewn  with 
papers  and  charts  over  which  he  had  been  pour- 
ing. His  thoughts  apparently  had  not  been  par- 
ticularly pleasing,  for  there  was  a  scowl  upon  his 
hard  face  which  looked  harder  than  ever,  and 
there  was  an  ugly  glitter  in  his  eye  which  boded 
evil  for  whoever  crossed  his  path.  Nevertheless, 
108 


ON    BOARD    THE    SEA    EAGLE.  109 

the  dwarf,  who  was  seated,  or  rather  perched, 
upon  the  top  of  a  worn  and  battered  sea  chest 
at  the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  regarded  him 
with  indifference.  If  there  was  anything  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth  or  of  its  waters  of  which 
the  Mexican  was  afraid  or  which  had  the  power 
to  make  him  blench,  he  had  never  met  it. 

For  a  moment  or  two  the  captain  glared  at 
the  dwarf,  who  returned  his  look  indifferently. 

"A  nice  mess  you've  made  of  this  business/' 
growled  the  captain. 

"It  wasn't  my  fault,"  returned  the  dwarf 
surlily. 

'Then  I  suppose  it  was  mine,"  snapped  the 
captain. 

The  dwarf  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"You  wouldn't  let  me  put  a  knife  in  him,"  he 
snarled  venomously.  "The  sharks  would  have 
had  him  now." 

"Bah !"  sneered  the  captain.  "Can't  you  think 
of  anything  better  than  that?  Besides,  there  are 
four  of  them.  That's  too  clumsy,  anyway. 
And,"  he  went  on  after  a  moments  pause,  "I 
don't  believe  you  could  have  done  it.  Jim  Dar- 
lington is  too  smart  for  you." 

If  it  was  the  captain's  intention  to  arouse  all 


110     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  malignity  and  vindictivenes  of  the  hunch- 
back's nature  to  the  utmost,  he  certainly  suc- 
ceeded. The  dwarf's  eyes  blazed  with  fire,  his 
form  trembled  with  rage  and  his  voice  when 
he  spoke  resembled  more  the  hiss  of  an  angry 
snake  than  the  utterance  of  a  human  being. 

"Leave  him  to  me  now/'  he  hissed.  "I  will 
make  an  end  of  this  Senor  James  and  his  whole 
tribe.,, 

There  was  a  devilish  malignity  in  the  way  he 
spoke  that  stirred  even  the  captain,  callous  as 
he  was. 

"All  right,"  replied  the  captain,  "if  that's  the 
way  you  feel  about  them,  I  guess  you'll  take 
care  of  the  matter  all  right." 

Getting  upon  his  feet  with  an  inarticulate 
growl,  the  captain  lurched  across  the  cabin  and 
up  the  companion  way  to  the  deck,  where  a  quick 
glance  around  assured  him  that  there  was  no 
one  within  eavesdropping  distance.  Returning 
to  the  cabin  he  dropped  heavily  into  the  chair 
again. 

"So  the  professor  is  back  again?" 

The  dwarf  made  a  surly  gesture  of  assent. 

"Why  didn't  you  get  the  chart?" 

"How  could  I?    I  paid  the  porter  five  dollars 


ON  BOARD  THE  SEA  EAGLE.       Ill 

to  let  me  handle  the  bag  for  a  minute,  but  there 
was  nothing  in  it." 

"Why  didn't  you  take  the  bag?" 

"Wnat  was  the  good  ?  There  was  nothing  in  it, 
and  beside  there  was  no  chance." 

"Where  did  he  pick  up  those  Darlington 
boys?" 

"Who  knows?  He  came  with  them  on  the 
train — all  except  Jim." 

"What  has  this  Jim  been  doing?"  went  on 
the  captain. 

"Nothing.  He  is  crazy.  Since  I  saw  you, 
I  followed  him  here,  there,  everywhere." 

"Did  he  know  you  were  following  him?" 

"He?    No.     He  is  the  imbecile." 

"Do  you  think  he  knows  where  we  are  going?" 

"No."  The  dwarf  laughed  contemptuously. 
"He  knows  nothing.  They  are  all  of  them  to 
hunt  for  the  treasure.  He  thinks  no  more  of 
the  girl." 

"Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,"  returned  the  cap- 
tain. "I  think  he  is  on  our  trail,  but  we  will 
give  him  the  slip  yet.  And  we  will  be  rid  of  her, 
the  day  after  to-morrow." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  her?"  asked 
the  dwarf. 


.112     FRONTIER  BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Put  her  ashore  at  San  Matteo.  If  we  don't 
get  rid  of  her  pretty  soon  he  will  be  bringing 
the  whole  pack  down  on  us." 

"Him!"  muttered  the  dwarf,  "leave  Jim  to 
me.    But  he  thinks  more  of  the  gold." 

"Why  didn't  you  at  least  get  the  papers  from 
him?" 

"Carambo!"  hissed  the  dwarf.  "Why  didn't 
I?  I  had  the  bag  and  those  clumsy  gringoes 
were  chasing  one  another  in  the  dark,  when  the 
professor,  maledictions  upon  him,  came  in  my 
way.     Who  would  have  looked  for  him  there?" 

"And  he  picked  you  up  and  spanked  you  like 
a  bad  little  boy,"  said  Broome,  maliciously. 

"Curses  on  him!"  howled  the  dwarf.  "But 
I — I,  Manuel  de  Gorgiza,"  he  struck,  himself  on 
the  chest,  "will  have  my  revenge  on  them  all. 
But  I  fooled  them.  I  swam  under  the  water, 
and  while  they  waited  for  me  to  come  up  I  am 
under  the  dock,  and  I  laugh  at  them  all  for  the 
fools  that  they  are.  They  think  that  I  am  down 
at  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  but  I  will  have  them 
yet." 

"It  is  time  we  were  getting  under  way,"  said 
the  captain,  rising.  "You  will  have  to  postpone 
your  revenge  until  we  come  back." 


ON    BOARD    THE    SEA    EAGLE.  113 

Going  on  deck,  the  captain  gave  orders  to  start 
and  in  a  short  time  the  Sea  Eagle  was  on  her 
course  out  through  the  Golden  Gate. 

"I  wonder  if  they  will  follow  us,"  mused  the 
captain. 

It  need  only  to  be  recalled  that  the  Sea  Eagle 
on  leaving  the  harbor  headed  north,  and  when 
the  captain  was  satisfied  that  he  was  not  followed 
the  ship's  course  was  altered. 

"The  little  Mexican  was  right.  Them  boys 
are  looking  for  the  gold,"  the  captain  decided, 
rubbing  his  gorilla-like  hands  together  with  satis- 
faction. 

The  next  day,  however,  when  the  Sea  Eagle 
had  entered  San  Matteo  Bay  and  Captain 
Broome  discovered  the  Storm  King,  he  almost 
exploded  with  wrath.  But  the  dwarf,  who  had 
been  standing  on  the  afterdeck,  and  with  a  spy- 
glass watching  the  other  boat,  had  seen  the  boys 
go  on  shore.  His  crafty  mind  had  even  then 
conceived  a  plan  of  revenge  worthy  of  the  arch 
fiend  himself. 

Having  devised  his  scheme,  the  dwarf  went  at 
once  to  Captain  Broome,  who  was  on  the  for- 
ward deck  directing  the  stowing  away  of  the  stuff 


114     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

that  was  being  transferred  from  the  lugger  to 
the  Sea  Eagle. 

The  captain  listened  attentively  as  the  Mexican 
unfolded  his  plan.  When  the  dwarf  had  con- 
cluded, Broome  removed  his  hat  and  bowed  gra- 
ciously. His  only  comment  was :  "I  take  off  my 
hat  to  you." 


CHAPTER  XII. 


TREACHERY. 


The  Senor  had  passed  an  anxious  day.  He 
had  at  first  thought  of  going  on  board  the  Sea 
Eagle  and  demand  surrender  of  his  daughter. 
But  he  feared,  after  the  revelation  made  by  Jim, 
that  he  would  be  but  placing  in  Broome's  hands 
opportunity  for  further  evil. 

At  four  o'clock,  therefore,  he  summoned  the 
inn-keeper,  who  brought  from  the  corral  two 
horses.  One  the  Senor  mounted,  and  leading  the 
other,  he  started  for  the  arranged  place  of  meet- 
ing. Jim  and  his  party  were  at  that  moment  in 
hiding,  as  had  been  arranged. 

The  task  of  loading  the  Sea  Eagle  had  evi- 
dently been  completed,  and  the  ship  itself,  under 
the  influence  of  the  tide  which  was  then  running 
out,  was  moving  very  slowly  toward  the'  ocean 
end  of  the  harbor. 

With  a  begrimmed  and  patched  sail  flapping 
listlessly,  the  lugger  could  be  seen  riding  motion- 
less at  anchor. 

115 


116     FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

There  was  a  brief  interval  of  suspense,  then 
there  was  observed,  moving  toward  the  shore 
from  under  the  lea  of  the  lugger,  a  small  boat. 
In  it  were  three  persons,  all  well  known  to  Jim. 
The  Senorita  sat  in  the  stern,  and  so  was  facing 
them.  At  the  oars  was  a  big  fellow  with  a 
bristling  red  moustache,  close-cropped  hair,  and 
evil  looking  black  eyes.  '  An  equally  big,  red 
haired  woman,  Big  Annie,  the  captain's  sister, 
was  in  the  bow.  This  woman,  as  Jim  knew 
from  sad  experience,  was  as  powerful  as  a  man. 

When  the  boat  grounded,  Big  Annie  sprang 
lightly  ashore,  and  walked  rapidly  toward  the 
appointed  tree  under  which  stood  the  Senor,  hold- 
ing the  bridles  of  his  two  horses. 

The  watching  party  hidden  from  observation 
were  not  close  enough  to  the  Senor  to  hear  what 
was  said  by  either  he  or  Big  Annie  when  they 
met.  They  saw  the  former  take  from  his  saddle 
bag  a  heavy  package  which  he  gave  the  woman. 

"There  is  the  money!"  cried  Jim,  excitedly. 

"Shall  we  stop  them?"  asked  Juarez. 

"No,"  answered  Jim,  "but  I  fear  that  he  is 
making  a  mistake.  He  was  not  to  give  up  the 
money  till  his  daughter  was  on  shore." 

"But  you  are  not  going  to  let  them  get  away 


TREACHERY. 


117 


with  the  money,  are  you?"  asked  Berwick  dis- 
gustedly. 

"It  seems  we  must,"  returned  Jim.  "At  least 
we  must  for  the  present.  But  I  mean  to  get  that 
later." 

"Huh!"  muttered  Tom.  "There  is  no  time 
like  now." 

"All  we  can  do  now,"  protested  Jim,  "is  to 
see  that  the  Senorita  is  safe.  She  is  still  in  these 
villains'  hands,  and  if  we  show  ourselves,  it  will 
be  an  excuse  for  them  to  try  to  get  away  with 
her.     That's  what  I  fear,  anyway." 

"See!"  called  Jo,  "the  Senor  is  walking  with 
the  woman  toward  the  boat." 

"And  he  promised  me  to  stay  at  the  tree." 

Jim  was  wild  with  anxiety,  yet  dare  not 
make  known  his  presence.  But  the  opportunity 
to  act  was  close  at  hand. 

Reaching  the  shore,  the  Senor  and  his  daugh- 
ter were  exchanging  salutations,  while  the 
woman  Annie  sprang  lightly  into  the  boat,  and 
it  was  then  swung  about,  seemingly  to  allow  the 
girl  to  land.  The  man  rose  from  his  seat  as 
if  to  lend  aid.  Big  Annie  took  the  oars,  and 
immediately,  with  quickly  repeated  strokes  im- 
pelled by  her  powerful  arms,  the  boat  shot  away. 


118     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS. 

At  the  same  instant  the  man  grasped  the  Senor- 
ita,  holding  her  before  him  so  as  to  protect  him- 
self from  harm  should  the  Senor  be  armed.  This 
all  happened  far  more  quickly  than  it  can  be  de- 
scribed. 

Now,  all  too  late,  the  party  in  hiding  sprang 
forward. 

"Help!  Help!"  called  the  Senorita.  "Save 
me,  Senor  James !"  She  had  at  once  recognized 
him  among  the  party. 

It  was  a  desperate  situation.  The  boys  were 
too  far  away  to  be  of  aid.  It  was  impossible 
to  shoot  at  the  man  xfithout  risking  the  life  of 
the  girl.  Twice  Jim  raised  his  rifle  and  let  it 
drop,  while  the  Senorita's  call  for  help  rang  in 
his  ears. 

The  Irishman  continued  to  hold  the  Senorita 
as  a  shield,  and  the  woman,  knowing  the  boys 
would  not  shoot  her,  fiercely  swung  the  oars  of 
the  boat,  which  was  headed  toward  the  lugger. 

In  a  few  moments  Jim  and  his  party  were  at 
the  shore,  where  the  Senor  in  desperation  raged 
now  that  it  was  all  too  late,  bemoaning  his  over- 
confidence  and  its  result. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  cried  Tom. 

"Get  back  to  the  Storm  King  as  quick  as  we 


TREACHERY.  119 

can,"  cried  Jim,  in  a  frenzy.  "We  will  run  the 
yacht  down  and  get  her  if  we  have  to  follow  them 
to  the  end  of  the  world.    Coine  on !" 

The  boys,  headed  by  Jim,  started  off  on  the 
run,  when  they  were  halted  by  a  shout  from 
Juarez. 

"Here's  a  boat!"  he  cried. 

Half  hidden  in  the  bushes  which  fringed  the 
shore  was  the  little  dinghy  of  the  lugger. 

To  seize  the  boat  and  rush  it  down  to  the  water 
was  but  the  work  of  a  moment. 

"But  we  haven't  any  oars!"  cried  Tom. 

"Here  is  one.  Yes,  a  pair!"  exclaimed  Jo, 
who  had  been  rummaging  in  the  bushes. 

"Let  me  go  with  you,"  pleaded  the  Senor. 

"I  am  sorry,"  replied  Jim,  "but  the  boat  will 
only  hold  three,  and  some  will  have  to  stay  on 
shore.  There  is  serious  work  ahead  of  us.  We 
don't  know  how  many  there  may  be  on  board  the 
lugger." 

"Then  let  me  be  of  the  party,  I  implore  you! 
I  am  an  expert  marksman,  and  can  hit  the  eye 
of  the  bull  at  a  hundred  yards." 

"Good !"  cried  Jim.  "Juarez,  you  are  the  best 
long  distance  runner  amongst  us.  Will  you  give 
the  Senor  your  rifle  and  run  as  fast  as  you  can 


120     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

back  to  the  ship  and  tell  the  professor  to  come 
to  our  aid  with  the  Storm  King?" 

Without  a  word,  Juarez  handed  his  rifle  to 
the  Senor  and  was  off  with  a  speed  that  carried 
him  over  the  ground  almost  as  fast  as  a  horse 
could  gallop. 

Leaving  Jo  and  Tom  on  shore  to  menace  the 
escaping  party  with  their  rifles  if  there  was 
opportunity,  and  with  Berwick  at  the  oars,  the 
dinghy  was  headed  for  the  lugger. 

Barely  had  they  covered  a  third  the  distance 
when  they  were  surprised  to  hear  a  call  from  the 
Senorita,  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound  they  discovered  her  standing  alone  on 
board  the  lugger. 

Her  captors  had  disappeared,  as  they  were 
soon  to  learn.  Having  first  run  under  the  lea 
of  the  lugger,  they  had  aided  the  Senorita  to 
climb  on  board,  and  they  themselves  keeping  the 
while  out  of  sight  of  Jim's  party,  had  rapidly 
rowed  the  boat  around  a  point  of  land  and  were 
nowhere  to  be  seen. 

That  they  were  to  board  the  Sea  Eagle,  which 
was  still  to  be  observed  dropping  down  the  har- 
bor was  doubtless  their  intent,  but  why  had  they 
surrendered  the  Senorita?     Why  taken  all  the 


TREACHERY.  121 

trouble  and  risk  to  recapture  and  put  her  on 
board  the  lugger?  It  was  an  enigma  for  which 
they  were  later  to  find  a  solution.    , 

Jim  and  his  party  lost  no  time  in  boarding  the 
lugger.  The  meeting  of  father  and  daughter 
was  affecting,  and  Jim  was  covered  with  con- 
fusion by  the  profuse  thanks  of  the  young  lady. 
He  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  the  dinghy,  where  he 
was  held  in  conversation  for  a  few  minutes  by 
the  Senor,  then  going  ashore,  he  picked  up  Tom 
and  Jo.  He  also  carried  a  message  to  the  Senor's 
man.  His  presence  in  the  tree  had  not  proved 
of  service  through  no  fault  of  his  own.  He  was 
now  ordered  to  take  the  horses  back  to  the  inn. 

On  Jim's  return  to  the  lugger  he  had  a  fur- 
ther conference  with  the  Senor  and  told  him  that 
in  a  scouting  trip  during  the  afternoon  he  had 
run  across  a  party  of  three,  bandits  he  took  them 
to  be,  and  listening  unobserved  to  their  conversa- 
tion, he  had  learned  of  their  intention  to  capture 
someone. 

"Do  you  know  of  a  Captain  Beauchamp?"  Jim 
asked. 

"No." 

"May  it  not  be  yourself  and  your  daughter 
that  they  are  after?"  Jim  asked  in  conclusion. 


122     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

The  Senor  was  visibly  agitated.  "For  myself 
alone  I  have  no  fear,"  he  said,  "but,  alas,  my 
daughter,  and  she  has  already  suffered  so  much." 

"If  I  could  go  with  you —  " 

'That's  it,"  broke  in  the  Senor,  "if  you  and 
your  brothers  will  accompany  us,  we  all  could  be 
quite  safe." 

Jim  was  complimented  by  this  confidence,  and 
was  very  loath  to  hesitate,  but  his  obligations  to 
the  professor  compelled.  He  must  first  refer  the 
matter  to  him.  Then  an  idea  occurred  to  Jim, 
another  course  was  suggested. 

Would  the  Senor's  party  go  on  board  the 
Storm  King,  and  when  again  at  sea  seek  a  trans- 
fer to  some  passing  merchant  ship  bound  for 
San  Francisco? 

The  plan  well  appealed  to  the  Senor,  and  now 
the  best  method  of  getting  on  board  the  Storm 
King  was  considered. 

While  they  were  talking,  as  the  darkening  at- 
mosphere indicated,  a  storm  was  brewing,  and 
appeared  likely  to  break  very  shortly  over  the 
hills  and  bay.  The  trip  by  land  would  be  tedious 
indeed,  particularly  for  the  -  Senorita.  The 
dinghy  would  carry  but  three,  and  Jim  thought, 
too,  that  every  minute  lost  would  prejudice  his 


TREACHERY.  123 

chances  for  the  recovery  of  the  Sea  Eagle.  One 
object  of  his  trip  had  been  accomplished,  the 
rescue  of  the  Senorita.  Now  his  thoughts  turned 
to  the  Sea  Eagle  which  at  that  moment  was 
doubtless  upon  the  ocean  and  headed  for  Cuba. 
At  least  he  knew  its  destination. 

The  thought  occurred  to  Jim.  Why  not  make 
use  of  the  lugger  on  which  they  now  were?  Sug- 
gestion was  promptly  followed  by  action.  Under 
Jim's  direction  the  anchor  was  quickly  raised,  the 
patchwork  sail  was  trimmed  and  made  secure.  If 
the  approaching  storm  held  off  a  bit  they  could 
make  the  run  to  the  Storm  King  in  short  order. 

With  the  relaxation  from  the  intense  anxiety 
of  the  hours  just  passed  through,  the  party  was 
indeed  a  happy  one.  Even  their  Nemesis,  the 
villianous  Mexican,  was  forgotten.  The  Senor 
and  Berwick — the  latter  was  at  the  helm — found 
subjects  to  discuss  of  mutual  interest. 

The  Senorita,  meantime,  told  Jim  of  her 
experience  on  board  the  Sea  Eagle,  where  she  had 
been  for  some  time  a  prisoner,  and  he  related 
very  modestly  some  of  the  efforts  he  had  made 
to  rescue  her. 

It  was  beyond  the  dinner  hour,  but  that  fact 


124     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH   SEAS., 

was  forgotten.  The  Senorita,  however,  was 
thirsty. 

"Was  there  possibly  water  on  board  to  drink?" 

Jim  offered  to  investigate.  He  had  seen 
through  the  hatchway  in  the  dim  region  of  the 
hold  a  cask  or  two.  He  climbed  down  a  broken 
ladder  to  institute  a  search.  The  first  cask  when 
struck  with  his  boot  gave  out  a  sound  indicating 
that  it  was  empty.  But  there  was  dimly  seen 
another  cask  farther  aft.  Even  near  the  open 
hatchway  it  was  dark  indeed,  and  the  approach- 
ing storm  made  the  gloom  almost  impenetrable. 

The  second  cask  was  open,  the  head  was  out. 
This  fact  he  determined  by  feeling  about,  and 
reaching  down  his  hand  encountered  a  dry, 
powdery  ingredient.  He  noted  now  that  there 
was  a  dividing  partition  just  aft,  on  which  his 
hand  rested.  The  partition,  he  discovered,  was 
hot  with  an  unnatural  heat,  while  the  air  about 
him  was  cool.  What  was  the  powdery  stuff  in 
the  cask?  He  could  not  see,  but  a  little  held  in 
i  his  hand  by  sense  of  smell  he  recognized.  And 
now  a  crackling  sound  beyond  the  partition  wall 
reached  his  ear. 

The  whole  picture  of  their  awful  position  at 
once  flashed  upon  his  mind.     The  lugger  was  a 


TREACHERY.  125 

veritable  trap.  They  had  been  beguiled  aboard 
with  but  one  horrible  purpose  in  view.  There 
were  people  Captain  Broome  wished  to  annihilate. 
The  Senor  was  surely  one,  Jim  and  his  party 
the  others.  The  substance  in  the  cask  was  pow- 
der. Doubtless  there  was  more  of  the  same  stuff 
about.    The  boat  was  on  fire. 

With  one  bound  Jim  was  back  to  the  ladder, 
and  was  quickly  on  deck.  The  deep  intonation 
of  a  crash  of  thunder  reverberated  through  the 
air,  drowning  for  the  moment  his  voice.  Jo  saw 
his  blanched  face  and  knew  that  something  un- 
usual had  happened. 

There  was  no  uncertainty  in  Jim's  commands. 

"Quick !  Instantly,  Senor !  Your  daughter  and 
Berwick  into  the  dinghy !  Ask  no  questions.  We 
have  not  a  moment  to  lose!" 

Even  as  he  spoke  he  was  drawing  the  dinghy 
alongside,  Jo  springing  to  his  aid. 

Tom,  put  into  the  boat  the  guns  and  the  Sen- 
orita's  handbag!  Now,  quick,  Berwick,  man  the 
oars!  Row  with  all  your  might  away  from  this 
boat!" 

No  one  had  uttered  a  sound.  Jim's  white  face 
showed  there  must  be  motive  back  of  his  com- 
mand,   and    instant    action    followed.    Quickly 


126     FRONTIER   BOYS    IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

those  ordered  to  do  so  had  taken  their  place  in 
•the  boat. 

''You  are  not  going  to  stay  and  face  the  dan- 
ger, whatever  it  is,  alone  ?"  questioned  Berwick. 
The  oars  were  even  then  bending  to  the  first 
stroke  of  his  powerful  effort.  Jim  deigned  no 
reply. 

'Tom,  Jo,  into  the  water  both  of  you,  and 
swim  with  the  boat !"  . 

Such  is  the  value  of  quick  obedience  to  com- 
mand. With  no  explanation  and  without  a  single 
question  both  sprang  into  the  waters  of  the  bay, 
followed  by  Jim  himself. 

"What's  it  all  about?"  Jo  finally  gasped. 

"Not  yet.  Not  yet,"  repeated  Jim,  but  even 
as  he  spoke  there  came  from  the  lugger  the  sound 
of  a  most  terrible  scream.  Human  voice  could 
not  give  utterance  to  sound  more  horrible.  All 
the  party  in  the  boat  and  the  swimmers  in  the 
water  turned  toward  the  direction  from  which 
it  came  to  note  the  cause. 

At  the  cabin  window  in  the  stern  of  the  aban- 
doned vessel  was  a  face  distorted  by  agony.  The 
person's  arms  were  flung  wildly  about.  It  was 
the  Mexican  dwarf.  He  it  was  who  had  planned 
the  trap  in  which  he  now  found  himself  caught. 


TREACHERY.  127 

He  had  set  fire  to  the  lugger  and  was  intending 
to  make  his  escape  in  the  dinghy.  The  scream 
had  come  when  he  realized  that  his  one  avenue 
of  escape  was  cut  off,  that  his  plot  had  miscarried. 

Even  as  the  horrified  observers  noted  the  con- 
ditions there  came  an  appalling,  thunderous  crash. 
Debris  rilled  the  air.  The  old  lugger  and  the  evil 
face  at  the  window  were  gone — gone,  forever. 

The  storm  so  long  delayed  broke  now  in  all 
its  fury.  Jim's  party  were  safe,  and  thankful  for 
their  preservation,  but  in  a  rather  dubious  pre- 
dicament, although  it  was  really  no  more  wet  in 
the  water  than  in  the  boat.  Each  of  the  boys 
rested  a  hand  on  the  gunwhale  of  the  little  craft 
and  discussed  their  next  move.  The  problem 
was  soon  solved  for  them,  Juarez,  together  with 
the  steward  from  the  ship,  rowing  the  long  boat 
was  seen  approaching. 

On  board  the  Storm  King,  the  rescued  party 
when  they  arrived  were  made  comfortable.  Jim 
learned  that  the  Sea  Eagle  had  been  quietly  man- 
euvered down  the  harbor,  and  under  close  reefed 
sail  had  disappeared  into  the  obscurity  of  the 
storm. 

Jim's  disappointment  was  keen,  but  he  felt  that 
he  had  much  to  be  thankful  for,  and  was  not 


128     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  Senorita,  herself,  a  member  of  the  party  for 
a  time  at  least? 

"Besides,"  said  the  professor,  offering  consola- 
tion, "mayhap  you  will  make  enough  from  the 
recovered  treasure  to  buy  half  a  dozen  Sea 
Eagles."  But  there  was  another  possibility 
which  the  professor  did  not  foresee. 

The  storm  lasted  well  into  the  night,  but  the 
Storm  King  was  riding  meanwhile  safely  at 
anchor.  The  following  morning  saw  them  once 
more  upon  the  ocean  every  sail  set  and  south- 
bound. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


AN    ADVENTURE. 


There  were  unvarying,  placid  seas  and  happy- 
hours  during  the  next  two  days.  One  item  was 
occasionally  commented  upon.  There  could  be 
seen  at  a  distance,  which  seemed  never  to  change, 
a  steam  yacht.  But  doubtless  this  was  only  a 
coincidence. 

To  Jim  especially,  and  perhaps  to  the  Senor- 
ita,  the  hours  were  brief  indeed,  and  when  on 
deck  they  were  always  in  each  other's  company. 

All  the  party,  with  the  professor  as  principal 
spokesman,  were  assembled  after  the  evening  meal, 
and  details  were  given  of  experiences  in  hunt- 
ing and  other  activities.  The  professor's  jour- 
neying had  not  been  confined  to  the  South  Seas, 
and  having  mentioned  the  then  scarcely  known 
great  country  in  the  Canadian  Rockies,  he  was 
asked  to  tell  about  his  adventures  there. 

"It's  a  far  cry  from  here  to  Saskatchewan,  but 
I  recall,"  said  the  professor,  "a  trip  that  I  made  a 
129 


130     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

good  many  years  ago,  when  I  first  went  out  to 
deal  with  the  fur  traders. 

"At  the  time  I  speak  of  our  brigade  of  four 
boats  lay  moored  on  the  banks  of  the  great  Sas- 
katchewan, which  river,  you  know,  takes  its  rise 
amid  the  rugged  steps  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
flows  through  the  great  prairies  and  woodlands  of 
the  interior  of  Rupert's  Land,  and  discharges  into 
Lake  Winnipeg. 

"On  this  morning  the  men  were  ashore  at 
breakfast.  On  a  low  gravelly  point  that  jutted 
out  into  the  stream  smoked  three  large  fires,  over 
which  stood  three  rudely  constructed  tripods,  from 
which  depended  three  enormous  tin  kettles.  Rob- 
biboo  was  the  delectable  substance  contained  in 
these  kettles.  Pemmican  is  a  compound  of  dried 
buffalo  meat,  melted  fat,  and  hair — the  latter  be- 
ing an  accidental  ingredient.  Mix  pemmican 
with  flour  and  water,  boil  and  stir  till  it  thickens, 
and  the  result  will  be  'robbiboo.' 

"Around  these  kettles  stood,  and  sat,  and  re- 
clined, and  smoked,  about  thirty  of  the  wildest 
and  heartiest  fellows  that  ever  trod  the  wilderness. 
Most  of  them  were  French  Canadians ;  many  were 
half-breeds;  some  were  Orkney-men;  and  one  or 
two  were  the  copper-colored  natives  of  the  soil. 


TREACHERY.  131 

But  Canadians,  Scotch,  and  savages  they  were  all 
employed  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Fur  Company; 
they  were  all  burned  to  the  same  degree  of  brown- 
ness  by  the  summer  sun ;  they  all  laughed  and 
talked,  and  ate  robbiboo  more  or  less — generally 
more;  and  they  were  all  clad  in  the  dress  of  the 
northwest  voyagenr.  A  loose-fitting  capote,  with 
a  hood  hanging  down  the  back;  a  broad  scarlet 
or  parti-colored  worsted  sash  round  the  waist;  a 
pair  of  cloth  leggings,  sometimes  blue,  sometimes 
scarlet,  occasionally  ornamented  with  bright  silk 
or  bead  work,' and  gartered  at  the  knees  a  pair  of 
chamois  leather-like  moccasins  made  of  deer  skin; 
a  round  bonnet  or  a  red  nightcap,  or  a  nondescript 
hat,  or  nothing. 

\ "  'Ho !  ho !'  shouted  the  gruff  voice  of  the 
guide,  as  the  men,  having  emptied  the  kettles, 
were  hastily  filling  and  lighting  their  pipes — 'em- 
bark, my  lads,  embark/ 

"In  five  minutes  the  boats  were  afloat,  and 
the  crews  were  about  to  shove  off,  when  the  cry 
was  raised,  'Mr.  Berry!  hold  on — where' s  Mr. 
Berry?' 

"Poor  Berry !  I  must  tell  you  about  him.  He 
was  one  of  those  people  that  are  always  late, 
always  missing,  always  in  the  wrong  place  at  the 


132     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

right  time,  and  in  the  right  place  at  the  wrong 
time.  His  companions — of  whom  there  were  two 
in  charge  of  the  boats  along  with  himself — called 
him  an  'old  wife/  but  qualified  the  title  with  the 
remark  that  he  was  a  'good  soul/  nevertheless. 
And  so  he  was — a  beardless  youth  of  twenty-two, 
with  a  strong  tendency  to  scientific  pursuits,  but 
wofully  incompetent  to  use  his  muscles  aright. 
He  was  forever  falling  into  the  water,  constantly 
cutting  his  fingers  with  his  knife,  and  frequently 
breaking  the  trigger  of  his  fowling-piece  in  his 
attempts  to  discharge  it  at  half-cock.  Yet  he  was 
incomparably  superior  to  his  more  'knowing'  com- 
rades in  all  the  higher  qualities  of  manhood." 

"At  the  moment  his  name  was  called,  he  sprang 
from  the  bushes,  laden  with  botanical  specimens, 
and  crying,  'Stop!  stop!  I'm  coming,'  he  rushed 
down  to  the  boat  of  which  he  had  the  special 
charge,  and  leaped  in.  Five  minutes  more,  and 
the  brigade  was  sweeping  down  the  Saskatchewan, 
while  the  men  bent  hastily  to  their  oars,  and  filled 
the  shrubbery  on  the  river's  bank  and  the  wide 
prairies  beyond  with  the  ringing  tones  of  one  of 
their  characteristic  and  beautiful  canoe  songs. 

"The  sun  was  flooding  the  horizon  with  gold 
as  it  sank  to  rest.     The  chorus  of  the  boatmen 


TREACHERY.  133 

had  ceased,  and  the  only  sound  that  broke  the 
stillness  of  the  quiet  evening  was  the  slow  and 
regular  stroke  of  the  heavy  oars,  which  the  men 
plied  unceasingly.  On  turning  one  of  the  bends 
of  the  river,  which  disclosed  a  somewhat  extended 
vista  ahead,  several  black  objects  were  observed 
near  the  water's  edge. 

"  'Hist !'  exclaimed  the  foremost  guide,  'they 
are  buffaloes. ! 

"  'A  terre,  a  terre !'  cried  the  men,  in  a  hoarse 
whisper. 

•  "A  powerful  sweep  of  the  steering  oar  sent  the 
boat  into  a  little  bay,  where  it  was  quickly  joined 
by  the  others. 

"  'Now,  then,  let  the  crack  shots  be  off  into  the 
bush/  cried  the  man  in  charge  of  the  brigade. 
'Away  with  you,  Gaspard,  Antoine,  Jacques. 
Mind  you  don't  waste  powder  and  shoot  only  old 
bulls.  Hallo!  Mr.  Berry,  not  so  fast;  let  the 
hunters  to  the  front.' 

"  'Ah !  Misser  Berry  him  berry  bad  shot/  re- 
marked a  middle-aged  Indian,  regarding  the 
youth  somewhat  contemptuously.  Berry  armed 
for  the  chase  with  frantic  haste,  dashing  about 
and  tumbling  over  everything  in  search  of  his 
powder-horn  and  shot-pouch,  which  were  always 


134     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

mislaid,  and  moving  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  hither 
and  thither  in  such  a  way  as  to  place  the  lives  of 
his  men  in  constant  and  deadly  peril.  He  started 
at  last,  with  the  speed  of  a  hunted  deer,  and  made 
a  bold  sweep  into  the  woods  in  order  to  head  the 
buffaloes.  Here  he  squatted  down  behind  a  bush, 
to  await  their  coming. 

"A  short  time  sufficed  to  bring  the  stealthy 
hunters  within  range.  Three  shots  were  fired, 
and  two  animals  fell  to  the  ground;  while  a  third 
staggered  with  difficulty  after  its  companions,  as 
they  bounded  through  the  woods  towards  the 
prairies,  headed  by  the  patriarchal  bull  of  the 
herd.  This  majestic  animal  had  a  magnificently 
shaggy  mane  and  a  pair  of  wild  glittering  eyes, 
that  would  have  struck  terror  into  the  stoutest 
heart;  but  Berry  was  short-sighted;  moreover, 
he  had  concealed  himself  behind  a  shrub,  through 
which,  as  he  afterwards  remarked,  he  'could  see 
nicely.'  No  doubt  of  it;  but  the  bush  was  such 
a  scraggy  and  ill-conditioned  shrub  that  the  buf- 
falo bull  could  see  through  it  just  as  nicely,  and 
charged,  with  a  hideous  bellow,  at  the  unfortu- 
nate youth  as  it  came  up  the  hill. 

"Berry  prepared  to  receive  him.  For  once  he 
remembered  to  cock  his  piece;  for  once  his  aim 


TREACHERY.  135 

was  true,  and  he  hit  the  huge  animal  on  the  fore- 
head at  a  distance  of  ten  yards;  but  he  might  as 
well  have  fired  against  the  side  of  a  house;  the 
thick  skull,  covered  with  its  dense  matting  of 
coarse  hair,  was  thoroughly  ball-proof. 

"The  bull  still  came  on.  Just  at  this  moment 
another  shot  was  fired,  and  the  animal  hurled 
forward  in  a  complete  somersault;  the  bush  was 
crushed  to  atoms,  and  Berry  was  knocked  head- 
over-heels  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  extended 
at  full  length  beside  his  slaughtered  foe. 
^  "  'Ah !  pauvre  enfant,'  cried  Antoine,  running 
up  and  lifting  Berry's  head  from  the  ground.  'Is 
you  hurt  ver'  moch  ?  Dat  bull  him  break  de  ribs 
I  'fraid.' 

"Antoine's  fears  were  groundless.  In  half  an 
hour  the  youth  was  as  well  as  ever,  though  some- 
what shaken  by  the  fall.  The  choice  morsels  of 
the  dead  buffalo  were  cut  off  by  the  men  with 
an  adroit  celerity  that  was  quite  marvelous,  and 
in  a  very  short  time  the  boats  were  again  rapidly 
descending  the  stream. 

'The  bivouac  that  night  resounded  with  more 
vigorous  mirth  than  usual.  The  camp  fires  blazed 
with  unwonted  power  and  brilliancy.  The  cook's 
office — no  sinecure  at  any  time — became  a  post 


136     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

of  absolute  slavery;  for  there  was  a  glorious  feast 
held  beneath  the  spreading  trees  of  the  forest,  and 
the  bill  of  fare  was  'buffalo-steaks  and  marrow- 
bones.' But  if  the  feast  was  noisy,  the  hours  that 
succeeded  it  were  steeped  in  profound  silence. 
Each  man,  having  smoked  his  pipe,  selected  for 
his  couch  the  softest  spot  of  ground  he  could  find, 
and,  wrapping  himself  in  his  blanket,  laid  him 
down  to  rest.  The  deep  breathing  of  untroubled 
slumber  was  the  only  sound  that  floated  from  the 
land  and  mingled  with  the  rippling  of  the  river; 
and  not  a  hand  or  foot  was  moved  until,  at  day- 
break,, the  loud  halloo  of  the  guide  aroused  the 
sleepers  to  their  daily  toil. 

"A  week  or  two  passed,  and  we  had  left  the 
lands  of  the  buffalo  far  behind  us,  and  were  sail- 
ing over  the  broad  bosom  of  Lake  Winnipeg.  It 
was  calm  and  polished  as  a  sheet  of  glass  when 
we  entered  it,  but  it  did  not  remain  long  thus.  A 
breeze  arose,  the  sails  were  hoisted,  and  away  we 
went  out  into  the  wide  ocean  of  fresh  water. 
Lake  Winnipeg  is  a  veritable  ocean.  Its  waves 
rival  those  of  the  salt  sea  in  magnitude,  and  they 
break  upon  a  shore  composed  in  many  places  of 
sand  and  pebbles.  If  we  sail  straight  out  upon 
it,  the  shore  behind  us  sinks  in  the  horizon;  but 


TREACHERY.  137 

no  opposite  shore  rises  to  view,  and  the  unbroken 
circle  of  sky  and  water  is  presented  to  our  gaze, 
as  it  appears  on  the  great  ocean  itself. 

"The  wind  rose  almost  to  a  gale  as  we  careered 
over  the  billows,  but  the  men  had  to  keep  up  in- 
cessant bailing.  It  was  almost  too  much  for  us; 
but  no  one  murmured,  for,  had  the  wind  been 
ahead,  we  might  have  been  obliged  to  put  ashore 
and  remain  there  inactive  for  many  days.  As  it 
was,  we  made  a  rapid  run  across  the  lake  and 
entered  the  river,  or  rather  the  system  of  lakes 
and  rivers,  which  convey  its  waters  to  the  ocean. 
Hudson's  Bay  was  our  goal.  To  this  point  we 
were  conveying  our  furs  for  shipment  to  England. 

"Many  days  passed,  and  we  were  still  pushing 
onward  towards  the  sea-coast;  but  not  so  rapidly 
now.  The  character  of  the  navigation  had 
changed  very  considerably,  and  our  progress  was 
much  slower.  Now  we  were  sweeping  over  a 
small  lake,  anon  dashing  down  the  course  of  a 
turbulent  stream,  and  at  other  times  dragging 
boats  and  cargoes  over  the  land. 

"One  afternoon  we  came  to  a  part  of  the  river 
which  presented  a  very  terrible  appearance.  As 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  entire  stream  was 
a  boiling  turmoil  of  rocks  and  rapids,  down  which 


138     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

a  boat  could  have  gone  with  as  much  safety  as  it 
could  have  leaped  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara. 
Our  advance  was  most  effectually  stopped,  as  far 
as  appearance  went.  But  nothing  checks  the  on- 
ward progress  of  a  northwest  voyageur  except 
the  want  of  food. 

'The  boats  were  run  successively  into  a  small 
bay,  the  men  leaped  out,  the  bales  of  furs  were 
tossed  upon  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  boats 
hauled  up.  Then  every  man  produced  a  long 
leathern  strap,  with  which  he  fastened  a  bale 
weighing  upwards  of  90  lbs.  to  his  back;  above 
this  he  placed  a  bale  of  similar  weight,  and  trotted 
off  into  the  woods  as  lightly  as  if  he  had  only 
been  laden  with  two  pillows.  The  second  bale  is 
placed  above  the  first  by  a  sleight-of-hand  move- 
ment which  is  difficult  to  acquire.  Poor  Berry 
well  nigh  broke  his  back  several  times  in  attempt- 
ing this  feat,  and  eventually  gave  it  up  in  despair. 

"In  an  hour  the  packs  were  carried  over  the 
'portage,'  and  deposited  beside  the  still  water  at 
the  foot  of  the  rapids.  Then  the  men  returned 
for  the  boats.  One  was  taken  in  hand  at  a  time. 
The  united  crews  seized  the  heavy  craft  with  their 
strong  hands,  and  shoved  against  it  with  their 
lusty  shoulders;  a  merry  song  was  struck  up,  and 


TREACHERY.  139 

thus  the  boat  was  dragged  through  the  forest  for 
nearly  a  mile.  The  others  quickly  followed,  and 
before  evening  all  was  carried  over,  and  we  were 
again  rowing  down  stream. 

"Not  long  after  this  we  came  to  a  rapid,  in  the 
midst  of  which  was  a  slight  waterfall.  The  water 
was  deep  here,  and  the  rocks  not  numerous,  and 
it  was  the  custom  to  run  the  boats  down  the  rapids 
and  over  the  fall,  in  order  to  save  the  labor  of  a 
portage.  Three  of  the  boats  ran  down  in  grand 
style,  and  reached  the  foot  in  safety.  Berry  and 
I  were  in  the  last  boat.  The  steersman  stood  up 
in  the  stern  with  his  hands  resting  on  the  long 
heavy  sweep,  while  his  gaze  was  directed  anx- 
iously towards  the  boiling  flood  into  which  we 
were  just  entering.  The  bowman,  an  immensely 
powerful  man,  stood  up  in  front,  with  a  long 
strong  pole  grasped  in  both  hands,  ready  to  fend 
off  from  the  sunken  rocks.  The  men  sat  in  their 
places,  with  their  oars  ready  for  action. 

"  'Now,  boys,  look  out,'  cried  the  guide,  as  we 
plunged  into  the  first  billow  of  the  rapids.  The 
boat  flew  like  an  arrow  straight  towards  a  rock, 
which  was  crested  with  white  as  the  water  burst 
against  its  ragged  front.  To  all  appearances  our 
doom  was  sealed.    The  bowman  regarded  it  with 


/ 

140        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

a  complacent  smile,  and  stood  quite  motionless, 
merely  casting  a  glance  backward.  The  steers- 
man acknowledged  the  glance  with  a  nod;  one 
long  stroke  of  the  great  oar — the  boat  turned 
sharply  aside,  and  swept  past  in  safety.  There 
was  no  danger  in  such  a  big  blustering  rock  as 
that! 

"  Trenez  garde!'  cried  the  bowman,  in  a 
warning  tone,  pointing  to  a  spot  where  lay  a 
sunken  rock.  The  steersman's  quick  hand  turned 
the  boat  aside;  but  the  bowman  had  to  lend  his 
aid,  and  the  strong  pole  bent  like  a  willow  as  he 
forced  the  boat's  head  away  irom  the  hidden 
danger.  And  now  the  fall  appeared.  It  was  not 
high,  perhaps  four  feet,  but  there  was  a  mighty 
gush  of  water  there,  and  it  was  a  bold  leap  for  a 
heavy  boat. 

"  Trenez  garde, — hurrah ! — lads,  give  way ! 
— well  done!'  The  boat  plunged  almost  bows 
under,  but  she  rose  again  like  a  duck  on  the  foam- 
ing water.  The  worst  of  it  was  past  now;  but 
there  was  still  a  ticklish  bit  below — a  bend  in  the 
river,  where  the  sunken  rocks  were  numerous,  and 
the  surface  of  the  water  so  white  with  foam,  that 
it  was  difficult  to  detect  the  channel. 

"The  bowman's  duty  now  became. more  ardu- 


TREACHERY.  141 

ous.  With  knitted  brows  and  compressed  lips  he 
stood,  every  nerve  and  muscle  strung  for  instant 
action.  The  steersman  watched  his  movements 
with  intense  earnestness,  in  order  to  second  them 
promptly.  Ever  and  anon  the  stout  pole  was 
plunged  into  the  flood,  first  on  one  side,  then  on 
the  other;  the  two  guides  acted  as  if  they  had  been 
one  man,  and  the  obedient  craft  sprang  from 
surge  to  surge  in  safety.  Suddenly  the  bowman 
uttered  a  loud  shout,  as  the  pole  jammed  between 
two  rocks,  and  was  wrenched  from  his  grasp. 

"'Another!   another  vite!  vite!' 

"One  of  the  crew  thrust  a  fresh  pole  into  his 
hand.  Plunging  it  into  the  water,  he  exerted  his 
giant  strength  with  such  violence  as  nearly  to 
upset  the  boat,  but  it  was  too  late.  The  planks 
crashed  like  an  egg-shell  as  the  boat  dashed  upon 
the  rock,  and  the  water  began  to  rush  in,  while 
the  stern  was  swept  round,  and  the  blade  of  the 
steering  oar  was  smashed  to  atoms.  Almost 
before  we  had  time  to  think  we  were  swept  down, 
stern  foremost,  and  floated  safely  into  an  eddy 
at  the  foot  of  the  rapids.  A  few  strokes  of  the 
oars  brought  us  to  the  land;  but,  short  although 
the  interval  was  between  our  striking  the  rock 


142     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

and  running  ashore,  it  was  sufficient  to  halt-fill 
the  boat  with  water. 

"The  danger  was  barely  past,  and  the  intense 
feeling  of  it  was  still  strong  upon  my  mind,  yet 
these  lighthearted  voyageurs  were  jesting  and 
laughing  loudly  as  they  tossed  the  packs  of  furs 
out  of  the  water-logged  boat;  so  little  did  they 
realize  the  imminence  of  the  peril  from  which 
they  had  been  delivered. 

"The  remainder  of  that  day  was  spent  in  dry- 
ing the  furs  that  had  been  wetted,  and  in  repairing 
the  damaged  boat.  Afterwards  we  continued 
our  voyage,  which,  without  further  accident,  ter- 
minated at  length  on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE    PURSUIT. 


The  morning  of  the  third  day  was  an  epoch 
in  the  lives  of  the  passengers  on  board  the  Storm 
King,  for  a  passing  vessel  was  signaled.  It  hqve 
to,  and  the  captain  quite  willingly  accepted  as 
passengers  to  his  next  port  of  call,  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  Senor  and  his  daughter. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Jim  gazed  long  and 
intently  after  the  Lotus  which  bore  away  the 
Senorita  and  her  father,  and  equally  long  and 
intently,  although  Jim  did  not  know  it,  did  the 
young  lady  watch  the  Storm  King  until  it  had 
become  but  a  speck  on  the  horizon. 

For  several  hours  Jim  was  seen  no  more  on 
deck,  and  many  a  merry  quilp  was  bandied  at  his 
expense.    What  Jim  was  doing  will  appear  later. 

"It  is  certainly  out  of  the  ordinary,"  admitted 
Becket.  He  had  just  come  aft  to  where  the  pro- 
fessor was  consulting  with  Jo  and  Tom.  They 
had  been  discussing  the  action  of  the  Marjorie, 
143 


144     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  ship  which  had  taken  its  departure  from  San 
Francisco  on  the  same  day  and  very  hour  that 
they  had  sailed,  and  which  had  again  been  sighted 
when  they  left  San  Matteo.  She  was  trailing 
about  a  mile  astern  of  them,  and  here  it  was  the 
third  day  since  they  had  sailed. 

"She  has  been  following  us  right  along,"  ob- 
served Tom.  "Do  you  think  she  is  going  the 
same  way  we  are?" 

"A  man  might  be  justified  in  thinking  so," 
replied  Berwick,  dryly. 

"I  mean,"  corrected  Tom,"  to  the  island?" 
"I  don't  know  what  to  think,"  admitted  the 
professor,  "but  I  don't  like  it  somehow." 
"It  is  queer,"  reiterated  the  engineer. 
"Let  us  run  away  from  him,"  suggested  Jim, 
who  now  joined  them. 

"I  have  tried  to  outsail  him,  but  it's  no  use," 
returned  the  captain.  "She  is  burning  up  the 
coal,  yet  only  traveling  as  fast  as  we  do  under 
sail." 

"Suppose  we  try  again  and  see  if  she  is  really 
following  us." 

"Let  us  radically  change  our  course,  captain, 
and  see  if  they  follow  us,"  said  the  professor. 
"That  isn't  a  bad  idea,"  agreed  the  captain. 


THE  PURSUIT.  145 

"It  won't  do  any  harm  to  try  it.  We  will  have 
her  head  put  due  west.  I  see  that  we  are  run- 
ning about  S.  S.  W.  now.  If  they  change  their 
course  it  will  be  pretty  conclusive  evidence  that 
it  is  purpose  and  not  chance  that  keeps  them  in 
our  wake." 

"Mr.  Berwick,"  said  the  professor,  "the  wind 
is  light  and  fitful,  suppose  we  add  steam  to  our 
propelling  force.  Give  us  all  the  speed  you  can, 
and  we  will  see  if  we  can't  shake  them  off." 

"All  right,  sir,"  replied  the  engineer,  going 
toward  the  engine  room.  "I  will  do  my  very  best 
to  get  all  the  speed  there  is  in  her." 

An  hour  later  the  throbbing  of  the  engine,  as 
the  pressure  was  gradually  increased,  was  felt 
throughout  the  vessel.  Like  a  spirited  steed  with 
a  bit  in  her  teeth,  and  at  the  snap  of  the  whip 
the  vessel  darted  forward,  plunging  through  the 
long  rolling  waves,  and  leaving  behind  her  a 
white  wake  that  curved  like  a  bow  as  her  prow 
was  turned  to  the  west. 

The  group  on  the  after  deck  of  the  Storm  King 
watched  with  interest  the  course  of  the  other 
vessel,  which  was  now  being  rapidly  distanced, 
would  pursue. 


146     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Hurrah !"  cried  Tom.  "We  are  leaving  her 
behind." 

"But  she  is  getting  up  more  steam,"  observed 
Jo,  as  a  thickening  volume  of  smoke  poured  from 
her  funnel. 

"She  is  following  us,  too,"  cried  Tom  a  little 
later.     "She  evidently  likes  company." 

It  was  evident  from  the  change  in  her  course 
that  the  Marjorie  was  bent  on  keeping  near  the 
Storm  King. 

"She  is  just  like  some  people,"  went  on  Tom. 
"She  doesn't  wait  for  an  invitation,  she  is  coming 
along,  too." 

The  Storm  King,  under  a  full  head  of  steam 
was  rolling  off  the  knots,  and  increasing  the  dis- 
tance from  the  Marjorie. 

"If  we  can  keep  this  up,"  said  Tom,  joyfully, 
"she  will  soon  be  hull  down." 

"If  we  had  a  nigger  to  put  on  the  safety  valve," 
said  the  professor. 

"A  nigger  on  the  safety  valve,"  questioned 
Tom,  "I  don't  understand." 

"Why  they  say  that  on  the  Missisippi  river 
when  they  have  a  race  on,  they  put  a  negro  on 
the  safety  valve  to  keep  it  down  when  the  pres- 


THE   PURSUIT.  147 

sure  gets  so  high  as  to  blow  it  off  at  the  regular 
set  weight." 

''But  that  must  be  dangerous,"  objected  Tom. 

"Of  course,  it  is,"  laughed  the  professor,  "but 
nobody  cared  for  danger  where  there  was  a 
race  on." 

But  in  the  meantime  the  Marjorie  was  once 
more  picking  up  the  distance  and  growing  more 
distinct.  For  three  or  more  hours  the  race  went 
on,  but  the  Marjorie  regained  and  then  main- 
tained her  relative  distance,  and  the  professor 
reluctantly  directed  the  captain  to  slow  down. 

"It  is  no  use,"  he  said.  "We  cannot  shake 
her  off  that  way.  We  might  as  well  resume  our 
regular  course." 

The  following  morning  the  same  conditions 
were  found  to  prevail.  The  distance  between  the 
boats  seemingly  never  changed. 

"She  is  a  good  boat  and  jolly  well  sailed,  don't 
you  know,"  remarked  the  mate,  who  was  a  typical 
English  sailor. 

"What  is  that  flag  for?"  asked  Tom  suddenly. 

"What  flag  is  that?"  asked  the  captain  in 
return. 

"Why,  that  one  there,"  replied  Tom,  pointing 


148      FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

to  a  square  of  red  bunting  flying  from  a  davit  of 
their  own  ship. 

'That,"  laughed  the  captain.  "Well,  you 
ought  to  know  better  than  I  do." 

"Why?"  asked  Tom. 

"Really,"  said  the  captain,  "didn't  some  of  you 
boys  put  it  there?" 

"Why,  of  course  not,"  disclaimed  Tom.  "I 
thought  maybe  it  was  some  kind  of  a  signal." 

"Well,  I'll  be  blowed,"  exploded  the  captain, 
"if  I  didn't  think  you  did  it  for  a  lark." 

"There  is  one  like  it  on  the  Marjorie,"  said  Jim, 
who  was  using  the  binocular. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that!"  burst  out 
the  captain. 

"What  does  it  mean?"  asked  Tom. 

"It  means  that  someone  on  board  is  exchang- 
ing signals  with  the  Marjorie,"  replied  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"I  wish  I  could  catch  them  at  it,"  muttered  the 
captain,  grimly. 

"Let  us  take  turns  in  watching,"  suggested 
Jim. 

"I  am  going  to  do  a  little  watching  on  my  own 
account,"  growled  the  captain,  making  a  dash 
for  the  supposed  signal. 


THE   PURSUIT.  149 

"Don't  pull  it  down,"  advised  the  professor, 
"perhaps  we  can  see  who  puts  them  up." 

"I  think  you  are  right." 

"They  are  doing  some  kind  of  signaling  on 
the  Marjorie  now,"  went  on  Jim.  "I  can  see 
some  one  waving  a  flag." 

"There  isn't  anyone  here  who  could  see  it," 
said  the  captain,  looking  over  the  deck.  "Let  me 
have  a  look,"  taking  the  glass.  "There  is  some 
kind  of  signaling  going  on,  but  who  can  it  be  to?" 

Jo  walked  quietly  to  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and 
leaning  over  the  rail  looked  down.  The  stern 
windows  of  the  cabin  afforded  a  view  of  the  pur- 
suing vessel,  and  where  the  signals  could  be 
observed,  but  he  could  not  see  if  anyone  was 
there. 

Something  did  attract  his  attention,  however, 
though  it  only  impressed  itself  on  his  mind  as 
an  odd  chance.  A  keg  was  floating  in  the  wake 
of  the  Storm  King,  but  most  unusual  things  are 
sometimes  seen  on  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  hun- 
dreds of  miles  from  land. 

"Perhaps  there  is  someone  in  the  cabin,"  he 
suggested,  as  he  came  back  to  where  the  captain 
was  standing. 

"By  jove!"  gasped  the  captain,  making  a  dash 


150     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

for  the  companion  way,  "I  believe  you  have  it." 

At  this  moment  the  steward  came  on  deck. 

"See  here!"  roared  the  captain,  "What  is  the 
meaning  of  this?" 

The  steward  smiled  complacently,  and  said, 
"Why,  sir,  I  know  nothing  about  the  flag.  I 
have  finished  my  tasks  in  the  pantry,  and  came 
on  deck  for  a  breath  of  air." 

The  captain,  debating  the  matter  in  his  mind, 
concluded  he  would  say  no  more  at  that  time, 
and  turned  his  attention  again  to  the  others.  The 
steward  went  about  his  duties. 

"They  have  quit  signaling,"  reported  Tom. 

"What  do  you  make  of  that  other  ship's  con- 
tinued interest  in  us,  captain?"  asked  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"I'm  blessed  if  I  know,"  he  replied.  "It's  too 
deep  for  me.  They  have  been  following  us  ever 
since  we  left  the  bay,  and  I'm  blessed  if  I  don't 
think  they  are  after  us.  But  I  cannot  imagine 
for  what  purpose." 

"I  suspect,"  said  the  profesor,  "that  they  have 
some  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  we  are  after  a 
treasure." 

"Oh,"  said  the  captain,  "but  they  can't  expect 


THE   PURSUIT.  151 

to  keep  us  under  observation  for  a  long  trip  like 
this.    It  would  be  ridiculous." 

"What  they  want  most  likely  is  the  chart.  Only 
with  its  aid  can  anyone  locate  the  island  or  the 
treasure.,, 

The  captain  sat  for  a  few  moments  in  thought. 
"There  must  have  been  somebody  on  board  get- 
ting the  signals.     Now  who  could  it  be?" 

"One  of  the  crew,"  suggested  Tom. 

"Quite  likely,"  agreed  the  captain,  "unless — " 

"What?"  said  the  professor. 

"It  was  the  steward." 

"No,"  said  the  professor.  "You  can  leave 
him  out.     He  has  been  with  me  for  years." 

"All  the  more  reason,"  returned  the  captain. 
"He'll  jolly  well  stand  watching.  What  we  have 
got  to  do  is  to  watch  out,  and  perhaps  we  can 
trap  them." 

"I  think—"  he  added.  With  a  sudden  thought 
he  got  up  and  went  to  the  companion  way,  return- 
ing slowly  to  his  seat.    "I  may  have  a  clue." 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Tom. 

"It  is  only  an  idea,  don't  you  know,  and  I 
won't  say  anything  until  I  work  it  out.  You 
say  the  chart  is  aboard?" 

"Yes." 


152     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

The  captain  whistled  softly  for  a  minute.  "Bet- 
ter put  it  away  somewhere." 

"That  has  already  been  done,"  admitted  the 
professor,  looking  at  the  boys.  "It  is  hidden 
away,  and  I  don't  think  anyone  can  find  it." 

"Even  if  they  could  find  it,  how  could  they 
get  away  with  it?"  inquired  Tom. 

"That's  easily  done,"  explained  the  captain, 
"when  they  find  it." 

"When!"  interrupted  Tom. 

"Maybe  only  a  matter  of  days,"  returned  the 
captain.  "They  will  signal  to  the  other  ship, 
put  it  in  a  keg,  drop  it  over  and  the  others  will 
pick  it  up." 

"A  keg,"  queried  Jo.  "I  saw  a  keg  floating 
in  the  wake  of  our  ship  just  a  little  while  ago." 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    CHART. 


"Indeed!  Then  you  had  betted  investigate 
your  hiding  place  and  see  if  your  chart  is  secure." 

Jo  acted  immediately  upon  the  suggestion,  and 
went  below.  Closing  the  door  of  his  room,  he 
pressed  the  spring  that  should  open  the  adjoin- 
ing panel.  It  did  not  respond  readily  to  the  pres- 
sure of  his  hand,  Evidently  it  had  been  tam- 
pered with.  With  feverish  haste  he  tried  again 
and  again,  and  finally  his  efforts  were  rewarded 
with  success.  The  door  flew  open.  The  box  was 
raised,  but  the  chart  was  not  within. 

Jo  had  so  long  been  detained  that  the  others 
had  meantime  descended  to  the  cabin. 

"The  chart  is  gone,"  cried  Jo. 

Unobserved  by  all  but  Jim,  the  steward  had 
entered  the  cabin  from  the  aft  companionway. 
There  were  exclamations  of  astonishment,  but 
the  steward  gave  not  the  slightest  heed,  going 
about  his  duties  without  apparent  interest. 
153 


154     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

The  captain  now  noticed  his  presence,  and 
questioned  him  closely,  but  with  no  result.  Mean- 
time, Jim  took  the  professor  aside,  and  together 
they  went  to  the  deck  above,  and  then  climbed 
quite  away  up  into  the  ship's  rigging. 

When  they  were  absolutely  alone,  Jim  said, 
"Whom  do  you  suspect,  professor  ?" 

"I  can  think  of  only  one  person,"  was  the 
answer.  "Beside  you  boys  and  myself,  only  four 
people  have  access  to  the  cabin.  I  do  not  suspect 
the  captain  or  the  steward.  Berwick  you  have 
confidence  in.     May  it  not  be  the  mate?" 

"I  know  who  it  was  that  took  the  chart,"  said 
Jim,  "and  I  called  you  up  here  where  no  one 
could  possibly  overhear,  to  tell  you." 

"Then  it  is  not  lost  beyond  recovery?" 

"On  the  contrary,  it  is  safe,  and  you  and  I  will 
be  the  only  ones  knowing  where  it  is." 

"I  am  all  anxiety." 

"It  is  here  in  my  pocket." 

"You  certainly  surprise  me.  What  prompted 
this  move  on  your  part?" 

"I  felt  that  someone  was  after  the  chart,  and 
I  thought  of  a  way  to  mislead  them." 

"Go  on.    I  am  all  interest." 

"I  made  a  copy  of  your  chart  and  substituted 


THE   CHART.  155 

it  for  the  original,  then  I  put  the  copy  in  the 
hiding  place." 

"And  the  copy  was  stolen?"  the  professor 
inquired  ruthfully.  "What  about  that?  Won't 
it  disclose  our  secret?" 

"The  copy,  if  you  may  call  it  such,  that  I 
made,"  laughed  Jim,  "had  the  descriptions  and 
instructions  altered  so  that  it  will  be  misleading 
rather  than  helpful." 

"Good!"  said  the  professor.  "You  are  an 
assistant  after  my  own  heart.  Our  chances  of 
searching  undisturbed  are  greatly  improved." 

"If  we  keep  this  secret  to  ourselves,"  continued 
Jim,  "the  others  will  be  constantly  on  the  look- 
out, and  we  may  yet  run  down  the  one  guilty  of 
the  theft." 

"Yes,  even  if  they  only  get  a  fictitious  chart, 
we  would  like  to  know  who  it  is  and  for  what 
purpose  it  was  taken." 

Their  conference  over  they  returned  now  to 
the  deck. 

The  day  passed  without  event  worthy  of  rec- 
ord, and  it  was  growing  dark  when  the  captain 
again  joined  the  others. 

"Going  to  have  a  blow,"  he  said,  looking  to 
the  west  where  a  mass  of  dark  clouds  were  piling 


156     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

up.  "The  barometer  is  falling.  It  is  just  the 
time  to  try  a  little  experiment." 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  am  going  to  try  and  give  our  friends  the 
slip,"  replied  the  captain.  "There  are  no  other 
ships  in  sight,"  sweeping  the  horizon  with  his 
glass. 

"How  are  you  going  to  do  it?"  asked  Tom. 

"Wait  and  see,"  replied  the  captain. 

In  the  west  it  was  growing  darker.  The  storm 
brewing  clouds,  as  they  piled  up  blotted  out  the 
stars.  There  was  scarcely  a  breath-  of  air.  The 
sea  rose  and  fell  in  long,  slow  undulations.  Away 
in  the  distance  the  roar  of  the  storm  was  audible. 

"Double  reef  the  sails,"  the  captain  commanded 
at  the  same  time  changing  the  course  so  as  to 
steer  directly  toward  the  approaching  storm. 

The  party  at  the  captain's  suggestion  had 
donned  their  oilskins  and  were  now  crouched 
in  the  shelter  of  the  cabin  top  watching  with  fas- 
cinated interest  the  coming  of  the  storm. 

"Better  get  a  good  strong  hold,"  advised  Tom, 
"It's  going  to  blow  great  guns." 

Higher  and  higher  rose  the  clouds  until  all 
of  the  west  was  of  inky  blackness  through  which 
there  ran,  now  and  again,  a  streak  of  light  that 


THE   CH ART.  157 

was  blinding  in  its  intensity.  The  storm  broke 
now  with  a  flash  as  if  the  whole  firmament  was 
aflame,  and  with  a  roar  that  drowned  the.  thun- 
der a  solid  wall  of  blackness  enveloped  them, 
blotting  out  everything  except  the  ship's  lights, 
and  there  came  down  aparently  a  deluge  of  water. 

'Tut  out  the  lights,"  commanded  the  captain, 
in  the  first  lull  of  the  storm.  The  vessel  was  still 
rolling  and  pitching,  and  the  wind  was  howling 
through  the  shrouds. 

In  total  darkness,  now,  the  ship  plunged  for- 
ward through  the  angry  waves  that  crashed 
against  her  bow  with  a  force  that  shook  her  from 
stem  to  stern,  while  the  wind  played  weird  tunes 
overhead. 

"We  will  keep  her  on  the  course  she  is  run- 
ning a  half  hour,"  determined  the  captain.  By 
that  time  the  storm  had  about  blown  out,  and 
when  the  command  was  turned  over  to  the  mate 
the  ship's  regular  course  was  resumed. 

"I, think,"  began  the  captain,  the  next  morn- 
ing when  the  boys  came  on  deck,  'that  we  have 
seen  the  last  of  the  Marjorie." 

"I  hope  so,"  replied  the  professor,  who  was 
scanning  the  horizon  with  a  glass.    "It  is  almost 


158     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

too  good  to  be  true,  but  they  do  not  seem  to  be 
in  sight." 

It  was  a  beautifully  clear  day  after  the  storm. 
The  wind  had  blown  all  the  clouds  away,  and  the 
sky  was  a  deep  transparent  blue.  The  air  was 
crisp,  and  for  the  latitude,  cool,  and  the  sea  rose 
and  fell  in  long  broken  swells  through  which  the 
yacht  was  racing  at  the  rate  of  a  dozen  knots. 
They  were  alone  on  the  vast  expanse  of  water; 
no  other  vessel  was  in  sight,  although  way  to  the 
southwest  a  faint  trail-like  smoke  showed  on  the 
horizon  against  the  deep  blue  of  the  sky. 

>"Is  that  the  Marjorie  off  there,  do  you  think?" 
asked  Tom. 

"Cannot  say,  I'm  sure,"  replied  the  captain. 
"But  we  will  just  hold  to  our  course  and  see  if 
she  raises.  I  doubt  if  they  see  us,  and  the  Mar- 
jorie will  have  a  hunt  to  pick  us  up  again." 

"I  can't  see  anything  of  them,"  said  the  captain, 
an  hour  later,  sweeping  the  horizon  with  his  glass. 
"We  can  lay  over  course  direct  for  the  island  of 
Bohoola." 

Relieved  of  the  shadow  of  impending  trouble 
which  the  persistent  trailing  of  the  yacht  by  the 
mysterious  vessel  had  cast  over  them,  the  spirits 
of  all  rose  perceptibly  and  as  nothing  was  seen  of 


THE    CHART.  159 

her  for  the  next  two  or  three  days  some  began  to 
think  that  it  was  only  a  coincident  of  their  sailing 
upon  the  same  course,  and  that  their  fears  had 
been  unfounded. 

Several  days  of  steady  progress  under  full 
spread  of  sail  carried  the  voyager  on  beyond  the 
equator.  No  incident  worthy  of  note  transpired. 
There  was,  of  course,  a  constantly  augmented  de- 
sire for  the  sight  of  land  and  for  the  varieties 
and  delicacies  of  food  denied  them.  Hard  tack 
and  salt  fish  become  very  monotonous  if  too  long 
persisted  in. 

Hopes  of  an  early  termination  of  the  journey 
were  beginning  to  run  high  when,  as  the  captain 
determined  that  they  had  arrived  at  a  point  esti- 
mated to  be  less  than  three  days  from  their  des- 
tination. The  other  boys  were  now  told  the  story 
of  the  chart  then  in  Jim's  possession,  and  one  day 
together  with  the  professor,  a  careful  study  of  the 
descriptions  and  instructions  were  gone  over. 
They  were  careful  to  see  that  no  one  was  near 
either  cabin  door,  but  they  did  not  observe  that 
both  the  mate  and  the  steward,  who  were  much 
in  each  other's  company,  were  seated  on  the  cabin 
roof. 

The  instructions  contained  in  the  chart  were 


N 


160     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

meagre  in  the  extreme.  The  location  of  the  island 
was  fairly  well  given,  but  after  that  much  seemed 
to  be  left  to  chance.  The  main  and  essential  fea- 
ture which  all  impressed  on  their  memory  was 
"an  opening  to  a  cave  high  up  and  difficult  of  ac- 
cess." A  blue  stone  marked  in  some  way  the  en- 
trance. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  rose  hot  almost  be- 
yond endurance  to  greet  an  atmosphere  of  perfect 
calm.  Not  a  ripple  stirred  the  surface  of  the 
great  southern  sea.  The  Storm  King,  master  in 
a  turmoil,  was  conquered  and  helpless  when  de- 
nied a  breeze,  and  lay  with  drooping  canvas,  mo- 
tionless. 

So  passed  that  day  and  the  next  with  discom- 
fort to  the  voyagers  and  without  progress. 

"There  is  only  one  thing  to  do,"  determined  the 
professor.  "Mr.  Berwick,  will  you  start  up  the 
engine,  and  we  will  end  our  trip  under  steam  ?" 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  fires  were 
lit  and  the  generation  of  steam  gotten  under  way. 
At  a  signal  the  engine's  mechanism  responded  to 
the  movement  of  a  lever.  Almost  immediately 
there  was  a  crash  that  shoek  the  ship  from  stem 
to  stern.  It  was  at  once  apparent  to  all  on  board 
that  something  serious  had  happened.    Everyone 


THE    CHART.  161 

was  at  the  moment  on  deck,  except  those  engaged 
in  the  engine  room,  and  to  that  spot  all  ran  to  in- 
vestigate. 

Berwick  was  found  with  a  wounded  hand,  re- 
sulting from  his  efforts  to  stop  the  machinery. 
Juarez  had  accomplished  this,  but  to  the  gaze  of 
all  there  was  offered  a  badly  wrecked  mechanism. 
Berwick  was  livid  with  rage  and  more  concerned 
by  the  mishap  to  the  engine  than  by  the  pain  in 
his  injured  hand. 

Someone,  it  was  found,  had  tampered  with  the 
machinery.    Who  was  the  culprit? 

"How  serious  is  the  injury  ?"  inquired  the  pro- 
fessor. 

Berwick  shook  his  head  and  looked  at  his  in- 
jured member,  about  which  Jim  was  skilfully 
appyling  a  bandage. 

"I  fear  it  will  be  several  days,"  was  the  gloomy 
response.    "But  we  will  get  right  at  it." 

Even  Berwick,  however,  was  disappointed  with 
the  progress  he  could  make  toward  repairing  the 
distorted  machinery,  although  he  had  the  help- 
ful aid  of  all  the  boys.  There  were  exasperating 
delays.  Essential  parts  of  the  machinery  were  not 
to  be  found  and  substitutes  had  to  be  made. 

The  unvarying  calm  and  sultry  heat  persisted. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   ISLAND    OF   BOHOOLA. 

But  there  is  an  end  to  all  things,  and  at  last 
the  long  wished  for  breeze  sprang  up.  The  sails 
filled  once  more,  the  ship  sped  on  and  hope 
revived. 

A  welcome  sound  at  noon  the  next  day  brought 
everyone  on  deck. 

"Land,  ho!"  called  the  forward  watch. 

"Where  away!"  shouted  the  mate  who  was  on 
duty. 

"Off  the  starboard  bow!" 

The  captain  had  just  finished  his  task  of  deter- 
mining their  location,  and  had  recognized  the 
fact  that  the  island  they  sought  might  be  near  at 
hand. 

The  hours  went  by  more  swiftly  now,  all  watch- 
ing interestedly  the  new  field  of  their  endeavor, 
the  Treasure  Isle.  Would  they  find  fortune  and 
a  successful  ending  to  their  venture?  Oddly 
enough  the  thought  uppermost  in  the  minds  of 
162 


THE   ISLAND    OF    BOHOOLA.  163 

all  was  the  possible  abundant  supply,  not  of  treas- 
ure, but  of  fresh  water  and  something  good  to 
eat. 

The  land  which  they  were  rapidly  approach- 
ing appeared  to  be  of  considerable  extent.  Head- 
lands, it  was  seen,  rose  somewhat  abruptly  from 
the  sea.  At  their  base  they  could  see  a  line  of 
white  caused  by  the  incessant  action  of  the  waves 
as  they  broke  upon  the  shore. 

"It  doesn't  seem  as  if  there  was  any  place  to 
make  a  landing,"  said  the  professor,  looking  at 
the  long  line  of  breakers  and  the  spray  that  was 
flung  in  the  air. 

"Can't  tell  until  you  are  close  in,"  replied  the 
captain.     "We'll  run  along  the  shore  a  ways." 

Continuing  thus  till  within  half  a  mile  of  the 
coast,  the  yacht  was  brought  about,  and  with  sails 
close  hauled,  followed  its  contour  for  quite  some 
time  without  success. 

"Looks  like  a  bit  of  smooth  water  over  there," 
said  the  captain,  indicating  a  place  in  the  near 
distance.  "Bring  her  up  to  the  wind,"  he  ordered. 
"We  will  take  a  look  into  it." 

The  yacht  had  now  been  brought  about  and 
with  sheets  eased  off  she  was  drifting  slowly  on 
the  tide. 


164     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Who  will  compose  the  first  landing  party?" 
asked  the  captain. 

"Jim,  Juarez  and  myself,"  answered  the  pro- 
fessor. "The  steward  and  one  of  the  crew  to 
row." 

The  boat  was  launched  and  equipped.  One 
empty  water  cask  and  a  bucket  was  carried  along. 
Was  the  island  inhabited?  From  the  ship's  deck 
no  sign  of  life  was  discernible  to  the  naked  eye 
or  indeed  by  careful  search  with  the  spy  glass. 
The  party  went,  however,  fully  armed  and  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency. 

There  was,  they  found,  a  recession  in  the  shore 
several  hundred  feet  in  width  through  which  the 
waves  extended  their  course,  later  to  break  in 
foam  on  submerged  rocks  a  hundred  yards 
beyond. 

The  boat  shot  rapidly  forward,  and  readily 
passed  through  the  opening  between  the  cliffs. 
On  each  side,  the  rocks,  jagged  and  rough,  rose 
threateningly,  but  a  further  recess  to  the  right 
afforded  shelter,  and  the  water  became  compara- 
tively smooth.  Passing  through  the  channel  and 
rounding  the  obstructing  rocks  they  found 
another  passage  of  similar  extent  which  led 
further  inland  and  brought  them   into   a  little 


THE   ISLAND    OF    BOHOOLA-  165 

crescent  shaped  bay  of  something  like  a  half 
mile  in  length  by  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width. 
At  several  points  were  observed  small  strips  of 
sandy  beach,  and  strange  wading  birds  of  the 
stork  species  were  seen,  but  not  a  suggestion  or 
sign  of  a  habitation. 

"Crescent  Bay!"  cried  Jim,  noting  the  shape. 
"Isn't  it  fine  here!" 

"It's  fine!"  exclaimed  the  professor.  "Who 
would  think  of  such  a  place  as  this  hidden  away 
in  the  fastness  of  these  hills.  It's  like  some  of 
the  secret  haunts  of  the  buccaneers." 

"It  would  be  a  nice  bit  of  seamanship  to  bring 
a  craft  through  that  channel,  though,"  said 
Juarez. 

"But  I  believe  it  could  be  done,"  said  Jim. 

The  scenery  grew  wilder  and  more  beautiful 
with  every  stroke  of  the  oars.  From  caverns  of 
leafy  shade  came  the  gleam  and  flicker  of  many 
colored  plumage. 

Few  readers  but  are  familiar  with  the  glowing 
color  in  which  voyagers  have  painted  the  beau- 
tiful islands  of  the  South  Pacific.  Nature  has 
lavished  upon  them  her  rarest  gifts;  deep  shadowy 
groves,  valleys  musical  with  murmuring  streams, 
lofty  mountains  rising  into  the  sapphire  heaven 


166     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

out  of  a  girdle  of  eternal  foliage;  wonderous 
visions  of  color  in  shrub  and  flower,  the  golden- 
yellow  of  the  low-growing  chinquapins,  and  the 
blood  red  osiers;  a  bright  fresh  air,  redolent  of 
fragrance,  and  a  sea  dimpling  in  cloudless  sun- 
shine. 

But  this  fairy  region,  where  Shakespeare  might 
have  fitly  placed  his  Oheron  and  Titania,  was 
inhabited  by  a  race  unworthy  of  its  charms;  a 
race  enervated  and  corrupted,  and  abandoned 
to  all  those  vices  which  usually  accompany  or 
originate  in  a  degrading  and  sanguinary  idolatry. 

The  Tahitians  were  not  cannibals,  but  they 
sacrificed  human  victims  in  frightful  numbers  on 
the  shrines  of  their  hideous  divinities. 

Intoxication  and  theft  were  their  predominant 
vices;  continual  wars  decimated  the  population 
so  that  in  some  cases  great  islands  were  left  abso- 
lutely without  an  inhabitant;  infanticide  was  a 
universally  prevalent  custom,  and  that  fully  two- 
thirds  of  the  young  were  cruelly  murdered  is  a 
fact  vouched  for  by  the  missionary  Williams,  one 
of  the  most  intelligent,  persevering,  and  success- 
ful of  the  pioneers  of  the  true  religion  in  Poly- 
nesia. This  beautiful  Tihatian  group  of  islands 
was,  therefore,  a  sink  of  vice  and  crime. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE    HURRICANE. 


"I  see  a  cascade  or  water  fall  on  the  hillside 
yonder,"  cried  Juarez. 

"Then  we  will  make  a  landing  somewhere 
along  the  beach  in  that  direction,"  ordered  the 
professor. 

Slowly  they  approached  the  shore,  and  landing 
carefully  reconnoitered,  but  nothing  was  observed 
to  warrant  their  caution. 

A  spring,  pouring  forth  a  constant  stream  of 
'limpid,  cool  water,  was  readily  located,  and  here 
each  found  satisfying  refreshment.  About  them 
everywhere  were  luxuriant  growths,  and  tropical 
fruits  of  many  varieties  were  within  reach  of  the 
extended  hand. 

Water  was  conveyed  to  the  boat,  and  the  cask 
filled  to  transport  a  supply  to  the  ship.  A  quan- 
tity of  yams  were  gathered  for  the  party  on  board 
while  they  themselves  ate  of  the  fruit  to  their 
heart's  content.  As  they  walked  inland  they 
167 


168     FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

came  upon  charming  glens  and  denies  well  up  the 
mountain  side,  and  still  above  them  rose  great 
castleated  turrets,  all'  draped  in  mosses  and  flow- 
ering shrubs  forming  the  abode  of  many  a  bird 
of  prey  that  on  their  approach  rose  screaming  to 
the  sky. 

"But  this  is  a  vast  space  that  we  have  got  to 
examine,"  said  Jim,  speaking  in  a  low  voice  to 
the  professor.  "I  wonder  where,"  quoting  from 
the  chart,  "we  are  to  find  the  cave  opening — the 
opening  high  up  and  hard  to  reach,  with  a  blue 
rock  somewhere  about?" 

"We  shall  go  about  it  systematically,  as  soon  as 
we  find  travel  safe.  If  there  are  inhabitants  we 
must  conduct  our  exploitations  in  groups.  If 
otherwise  we  can  spread  out  and  cover  the  ground 
much  more  rapidly." 

On  the  return  trip  toward  the  boat,  a  strong 
odor  of  sulphur  attracted  their  attention,  and  a 
mineral  spring  was  located.  Here  for  the  first 
time  they  found  indications  that  others  had  vis- 
ited the  spot,  but  how  recently  could  not  be 
determined. 

"Seemingly,"  suggested  the  professor,  "this  is 
a  remedial  water,  the  virtues  of  which  may  be 


THE  HURRICANE.  169 

known  to  the  occupants  of  the  other  islands  here- 
abouts." 

Farther  on,  near  the  shore,  Jim  came  upon  a 
rude  shack,  or  shelter,  built  of  boughs,  and  the 
roof  thatched  with  leaves  resembling  palms,  and 
further  on  at  the  shore  Juarez  dropped  upon  his 
knees  examining  a  mark  upon  the  sand. 

"A  foot  print,"  he  said,  "but  not  very  recently 
made." 

The  return  to  the  ship  was  without  incident, 
and  by  the  following  day  all  except  the  captain 
and  Tom,  the  latter  was  not  feeling  well,  made 
trips  to  the  shore.  Jo  and  Juarez  made  a  long 
detour  inland  and  on  their  return  reported  many 
interesting  sights,  but  no  sign  did  they  find  of 
inhabitants.  They  had  climbed  to  a  high  altitude, 
reaching  the  uppermost  point  by  a  circuitous 
route,  but  descending  again  by  a  rugged  route 
much  shorter  but  very  difficult  to  negotiate. 

"Phew!"  exclaimed  Tom,  on  coming  on  deck 
the  following  morning  as  the  sun  like  a  ball  of 
fire  was  showing  in  the  eastern  horizon.  "It  is 
going  to  be  a  corker  today,  all  right.  Why,  even 
the  ocean  is  sizzling." 

"Feel  all  right  to-day?"  asked  Jo. 

"Yes,  or  I  would  if  it  was  only  cool." 


170     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE  SOUTH    SEAS. 

The  yacht  was  still  lying  to,  about  a  half  mile 
off  shore.  The  sails  hung  loosely  with  not  enough 
air  to  stir  them. 

"It's  a  nice  morning  for  a  row,"  suggested  Jo. 
"The  water  is  as  smooth  as  oil.  You  are  the 
only  one  who  has  not  been  ashore.    Want  to  go  ?" 

"No  rowing  for  me,"  groaned  Tom.  "I'm  not 
a  phoenix.  I'm  going  to  sit  in  the  shade  and 
fish." 

"Fish!"  cried  Jo.  "What  do  you  expect  to 
catch  here?" 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Tom.  "Maybe  I  might 
catch  a  boiled  cod  or  something  like  that." 

"Don't  you  want  to  go  on  shore,  then?"  asked 
Jo. 

"Not  bad  enough  to  row  there,"  answered 
Tom.     "Glad  to  go  if  you  will  do  the  rowing." 

"We  will  have  to  take  the  long  boat.  The 
steward  went  ashore  in  the  yawl  early  this  morn- 
ing. 

"Early !"  cried  Tom.  "What  do  you  call  this  ? 
I  guess  it  was  late  last  night." 

"Well,  he's  gone,  anyhow.  We  want  to  get 
off  pretty  soon  if  we  are  going  before  the  sun 
gets  hot." 

"Before !"  cried  Tom.    "Say,  if  you  wanted  to 


THE   HURRICANE.  171 

do  that  you  ought  to  have  gotten  away  last  week." 

"Say,  fellows,"  cried  Juarez  at  this  moment, 
"what  do  you  think  that  means?" 

The  party  were  soon  gathered  on  the  after  deck 
and  were  looking  with  interest  at  the  land. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Tom  in  turn. 

"That  smoke  over  there." 
1    "Smoke!    Where?" 

"See  the  top  of  that  hill,"  Juarez  indicated  with 
his  outstretched  arm.  There  was  an  elevation 
which  must  have  been  miles  inland,  and  from 
which  a  thin  column  of  smoke  was  rising  into  the 
still  air. 

"It  is  a  signal  of  some  kind,"  said  Jim.  "I 
didn't  notice  it  before." 

"It  has  just  started,"  replied  Juarez.  "It 
wasn't  there  a  moment  ago.  I  wonder  what  it 
means,  and  who  is  making  it?" 

"It  is  a  common  signal  among  uncivilized 
people,"  replied  Jim.  "Savages  the  world  over 
use  smoke  for  signaling.  They  use  it  especially 
as  a  warning  against  the  approach  of  an  enemy 
or  of  strangers." 

"Well,  what  do  you  find  of  interest?"  asked 
Berwick,  joining  them,  the  captain  following  a 
moment  later. 


172      FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"We  were  just  looking  at  that  column  of  smoke 
over  there/'  replied  Tom.  "Do  you  think  it  is  a 
signal  of  some  kind?" 

"What  is  that?"  asked  the  captain. 

"That  column  of  smoke  on  the  hill  over  there," 
repeated  Tom. 

"Eh,  what!  Start  my  plates!"  exclaimed  the 
captain.  "We  will  have  to  look  into  that  a  little 
later." 

"See  how  straight  it  goes  up,"  commented  Jim. 
"There  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  bit  of  air  stirring." 

"Not  a  bit,  anywhere,"  assented  Berwick. 
"Not  enough  for  steerage  way." 

"I'm  thinking  we'll  have  all  the  wind  we  want 
and  some  to  spare  afore  ye  know  it,"  said  the 
captain.  "There's  a  hurricane  abrewing  or  I  miss 
my  guess." 

"What?  On  this  clear  day?"  asked  the  pro- 
fessor. "I  don't  see  how  you  can  tell  unless  you 
feel  it  in  your  bones." 

"No,  but  the  barometer  indicates  something 
unusual.  It  is  falling  very  rapidly."  Then 
scanning  the  horizon  in  all  directions,  he  added, 
"I  wonder  which  way  it  is  coming.  That  baro- 
meter is  going  down  too  fast  for  comfort."  Say- 
ing this,  he  called  all  hands  and  set  about  prepara- 


THE   HURRICANE.  173 

tions  for  a  storm,  concerning  the  coming  of  which 
there  was  not  the  slightest  apparent  and  visible 
indication. 

"There  it  comes,  now,"  cried  the  captain  as  a 
puff  of  wind  from  out  of  the  east  rilled  the  double 
reefed  sails,  and  a  little  later  a  mist  blotted  out 
the  sun.     "It  is  coming  out  of  the  east." 

"Is  there  any  danger?"  asked  the  professor?" 

"Well,"  replied  the  captain,  slowly,  "lying  off 
the  lea  shore,  in  a  hurricane  isn't  exactly  the  place 
I  should  pick  out  for  safety." 

"Can't  you  beat  to  windward?"  suggested  the 
professor. 

"That's  what  we  can  try,"  returned  the  cap- 
tain. "Hard  down  with  the  helm!  Pull  in  the 
sheets!"  A  heavier  blast  struck  the  sails  now, 
and  heeled  the  yacht  well  over.  "Steady  as  you 
are!" 

Under  the  impulse  of  the  wind,  the  yacht 
sprang  forward  with  sails  close  hauled,  beating 
up  into  it. 

"It's  no  use,"  admitted  the  captain,  as  the 
strength  of  the  wind  increased.  "We  haven't 
gained  an  inch.  Something  must  be  done 
quickly." 

"What?"  asked  the  professor. 


174     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"How  is  that  channel  into  the  harbor  which 
you  told  me  about?"  asked  the  captain,  turning  to 
Jim.    "Do  you  think  we  can  get  through  it?" 

"If  the  day  were  fair,  and  the  engine  was  work- 
ing it  might  be  done,"  replied  Jim.  "But  under 
sail  in  this  wind  it  will  be  a  hazard,  sir." 

"You  are  not  thinking  of  attempting  that 
passage  in  a  storm,  are  you  ?"  asked  the  professor, 
in  evident  alarm. 

"I  don't  think  there  is  much  choice  in  the 
matter,"  confessed  the  captain.  "We  may  go  to 
pieces  if  we  try  it,  and  we  are  pretty  certain  to 
go  to  pieces  if  we  don't." 

The  yacht  was  now  rolling  and  pitching  on  the 
heavy  seas,  and  the  blasts  of  wind  were  becom- 
ing stronger  and  more  angry,  whistling  through 
the  rigging  with  the  shrill  sound  of  a  gigantic 
fife. 

"Shall  we  take  in  another  reef?"  shouted  the 
mate. 

"No.  Put  two  men  at  the  wheel  and  tell  them 
to  work  lively !    Jim,  a  few  words  with  you." 

A  brief  conference  followed,  then  taking  his 
station  amidship,  with  Jim  well  forward,  the  cap- 
tain shouted  his  orders  to  the  sailors  and  helms- 
men.   Jim  signaled  by  means  of  a  pocket  hand- 


THE    HURRICANE.  175 

kerchief  in  his  hand,  facing  first  the  course  of  the 
channel,  and  at  intervals  looking  toward  the  cap- 
tain. Every  motion  was  correctly  interpreted  by 
the  commander. 

"The  helm  to  the  port  side!  Port  your  helm! 
Jam  it  down  hard !  Haul  in  the  main  sheet ;  haul 
close!  Quick  now!  In  with  the  lugger  and  jib!" 
The  captain  was  hurling  his  orders  so  quickly 
that  his  words  tripped  over  one  another. 

The  men  sprang  to  obey  the  commands.  The 
yacht  meanwhile  entered  the  channel  between  the 
cliffs  and  was  driving  headlong  for  the  rocks 
ahead  which  presaged  a  certain  end  to  its  career. 
But  just  as  the  fatal  crash  seemed  imminent  and 
unavoidable,  the  bow  swung  around,  and  with  the 
end  of  the  boom  buried  in  the  foam  of  the  break- 
ing waves  the  Storm  King  glided  into  the  deeper 
waters  that  opened  to  the  right. 

"My  goodness!"  cried  Tom,  drawing  a  long 
breath,  "but  that  was  a  close  shave.  I  thought 
we  were  gone  for  sure.  ,1  don't  mind  things  that 
happen  on  land,  but  that's  the  worst  experience 
I've  been  through  yet." 

"Oh,  cheer  up,"  cried  Jo.  "There  is  plenty 
more  to  come." 


176     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"It's  a  good  thing  we  had  a  good  captain,"  said 
Jim.     'That  was  a  nice  bit  of  work." 

"Worthy  of  one  of  the  oldtime  pirates,"  added 
the  reassured  professor.  'Til  have  to  bring 
that  in." 

The  captain  awarded  full  credit  to  Jim's  skill 
as  a  pilot.  .  It  was  another  instance  where  close 
observation  had  brought  worth  while  results. 

While  they  were  talking,  the  yacht  had  run 
into  the  inner  harbor,  and  here  even  with  the 
fierce  wind  playing  havoc  in  the  tree  tops  and  out 
at  sea,  the  high  hills  afforded  good  and  safe 
shelter. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    MYSTERIOUS    HAPPENING. 

The  barometer  rose  shortly  and  climbed  up  as 
rapidly  as  it  had  earlier  fallen.  In  a  brief  time 
the  skies  had  cleared  and  the  wind  settled  to  a 
steady  breeze. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  the  professor,  looking 
about  him,  "that  it  was  a  difficult  thing  to  get  in 
here,  but  to  get  out  is  going  to  be  a  more  difficult 
one." 

"It  will  be  all  right,"  replied  the  captain,  "if 
Berwick  will  fix  up  that  old  tea  kettle  of  his 
and  give  us  some  steam."  Then  addressing  the 
engineer,  "Can't  you  do  this  while  we  are  in 
here?" 

"Maybe  I  can,"  replied  the  engineer,  "if  there 
is  no  more  of  the  devil's  handiwork.  There  would 
not  be  much  the  matter  with  the  machinery,  if 
there  was  not  somebody  undoing  things." 

"The  sailors  will  have  few  duties,  now,  and  we 
will  have  a  double  watch  set  over  the  engine 
room,"  said  the  captain. 

177 


178     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

The  distance  to  shore  was  now  so  short  that 
getting  back  and  forth  was  a  simple  task,  and  as 
security  was  so  seemingly  assured,  permission  was 
given  for  any  outside  of  those  on  duty,  to  land 
and  rove  about  at  will. 

"As  we  have  found  the  island,  let's  find  the 
cave,"  suggested  Jo,  as  they  were  preparing  for 
a  trip  ashore. 

"Then  we  can  go  home,"  added  Tom,  who, 
however  ready  to  venture  forth,  was  even  more 
disposed  toward  the  home  journey.  Whatever 
desire  he  may  have  had  toward  early  home  going 
in  this  instance  was  destined  by  events  he  could 
not  forecast,  to  be  blotted  out. 

"There  is  that  column  of  smoke  again,"  an- 
nounced Jo,  as  he  grasped  the  oars.  His  broth- 
ers and  Juarez  were  with  him  in  the  boat. 

The  others  once  more  observed  the  curious 
signal,  if  such  it  were,  but  gave  no  special  heed 
other  than  to  note  its  distance.  On  land,  how- 
ever, they  bent  their  footsteps  in  the  direction  of 
the  phenomenon  although  they  could  no  longer 
see  it  for  a  guide. 

They  found  themselves  trailing  off  on  a  route 
they  had  not  before  taken,  and  had  gone  perhaps 
half  the  distance  which  they  had  estimated  as 


A    MYSTERIOUS    HAPPENING.  179 

required,  when  they  came  upon  a  curious  clear- 
ing in  the  woods.  It  was  about  forty  yards  in 
diameter,  and  surrounded  by  a  complete  circle 
of  trees,  their  boughs  interlacing  about  seventy 
feet  above  to  form  a  lovely  green  canopy.  So 
regular  were  the  trees  that  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  been  planted  by  human  hands  hundreds  of 
years   before. 

At  first  they  did  not  notice,  because  of  the 
somewhat  dim  light,  that  on  the  far  side  of  the 
amphitheatre  there  rose  sheer  a  wall  of  rock  well 
covered  with  vines,  and  then  all  of  one  accord 
and  simultaneausly  exclaimed. 

'There's  a  cave!" 

"Hurrah,  we've  found  it,"  added  Tom. 

"Don't  go  so  fast,"  admonished  Jim.  "There 
may  be  more  than  one  cave  on  the  island." 

"But  the  opening  is  high  up,"  demurred  Tom, 
"and  it  looks  as  if  it  might  be  hard  to  get  into. 
How  shall  we  do  it?" 

All  thought  of  the  column  of  smoke  was  blotted 
from  their  minds  as  they  surveyed  the  task  before 
them,  so  suggestive  of  sought-for  achievement. 
The  opening  to  the  cave  was  fully  forty  feet 
above  the  level  on  which  they  stood.  No  safe  foot- 
hold could  be  discovered  on  close  examination  of 


180     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

the  face  of  the  rock  which  rose  sheer  to  the  top, 
perhaps  a  hundred  feet. 

"I'll  warrant  there  is  some  other  entrance," 
suggested  Jim.  "Seems  to  me  this  place  we  are 
in  was  one  time  a  sort  of  temple  or  auditorium, 
and  that  opening  up  there  in  the  rock  may  have 
been  the  pulpit." 

"It's  sure  no  easy  job  to  get  up  there  from 
this  level,"  admitted  Jo.  "Suppose  we  deploy 
around  and  hunt  for  the  side  door." 

This  they  did,  that  is,  Jim  went  one  way,  while 
Jo  and  Tom  sought  for  an  opening  in  the  opposite 
direction,  but  without  success. 

Juarez  had  meantime  studied  the  face  of  the 
vine  clad  rock  below  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and 
when  his  companions  returned  he  undertook  the 
ascent  or  climb.  Mounting  first  on  Jim's  stalwart 
shoulders  he  found  crevasses  into  which  he  dug 
his  toes,  and  with  his  great  knife  scooped  out 
fragments  at  irregular  distances,  thus  by  degrees 
mounting  to  the  cave's  mouth. 

Once  a  secure  footing  gained,  he  let  down  his 
lariat,  and  one  after  the  other,  the  boys  climbed 
up,  and  all  stood  looking  out  upon  the  auditorium 
below.  Surely  a  more  beautiful  green  bower  of 
exaggerated  proportions  could  not  be  imagined. 


A   MYSTERIOUS    HAPPENING.  181 

But  it  was  not  scenery  that  had  induced  them 
to  seek  the  cave,  and  at  once  their  thoughts  turned 
to  the  business  at  hand. 

The  floor  of  the  cave  was  dry,  and  the  place 
showed  no  signs  of  recent  occupancy.  It  ex- 
tended into  the  rock  beyond  the  limit  of  vision. 

Jim  had  thoughtfully  gathered  and  sent  up  a 
bundle  of  fagots,  some  dry  slow  burning  sticks, 
one  of  which  was  now  lighted.  The  blaze  cast 
a  fitful  glare  upon  walls  that  shone  in  places  with 
metallic  gleams. 

While  Jim  and  Juarez  busied  themselves  near 
the  entrance  with  the  digging  into  and  examina- 
tion of  some  mounds  of  earth  which  excited  their 
curiosity,  Jo  and  Tom  with  the  burning  fagot 
penetrated  deeper  into  the  tunnel,  for  such  it 
seemed  to  be.  It  presented  at  the  start  nothing 
out  of  the  ordinary.  It  was  simply  as  Jo  put  it, 
an  enlarged  burrow  of  irregular  width  and  height, 
varying  in  width  from  six  to  eight  feet  and  in 
height  the  same.  The  sides  were  of  earth  with 
here  and  there  a  stone.  Whether  of  natural  form- 
ation or  an  artificial  construction  the  boys  could 
not  determine. 

"Doesn't  seem  to  be  anything  worth  seeing  in 


182     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

here,"  said  Tom,  who  was  in  the  lead  and  carry- 
ing the  torch.    "We  might  as  well  go  back." 

"Oh,  go  on  a  little  further,"  urged  Jo.  "Per- 
haps we  shall  find  something." 

"I'll  bet,  if  we  do,  it's  something  we  don't 
want,"  objected  Tom. 

"Well,  we  needn't  take  it  if  we  don't  want  it," 
retorted  Jo.     "Let  me  go  ahead." 

As  Jo  spoke,  pressing  forward  they  came  to  a 
sudden  enlargement  of  the  way,  the  walls  reced- 
ing on  either  side.  Jo  raised  his  torch  for  a 
better  view  when  a  grinning  skull  flashed  out 
of  the  darkness,  nodding  and  bobbing  at  them, 
while  a  rattling  and  whirring  noise  resounded 
through  the  cavern. 

With  a  cry  of  astonishment,  Jo  let  fall  the  torch 
which  was  quenched  as  it  fell  upon  the  floor,  and 
at  the  same  time  something  big  and  indescribable 
struck  him  full  in  the  face. 

So  confused  were  they  by  the  suddenness  and 
unexpectedness  of  the  attack,  and  encompassed 
as  they  were  by  the  absolute  blackness,  the  first 
thought  of  the  boys  was  to  run  to  the  entrance 
of  the  cave,  and  this  they  set  about  to  do  with 
the  greatest  possible  promptness. 

But  both  boys  as  they,  started  were  grappled 


A    MYSTERIOUS    HAPPENING.  183 

by  unseen  antagonists  with  whom  they  were 
locked  in  a  deadly  embrace,  struggling  and  strain- 
ing as  they  wrestled  in  the  darkness,  until  Tom 
almost  at  the  point  of  exhaustion  was  roused  to  a 
frenzy  by  the  rattling  of  bones  and  the  feel  of  a 
skeleton  hand  on  his  arm.  With  a  sudden,  not 
to  be  denied  effort,  he  threw  off  his  adversary  and 
rushed  wildly  through  the  cave,  followed  by 
Jo,  who  had  bested  his  opponent. 

In  the  meantime,  Jim  and  Juarez  were  still 
poking  in  the  little  mounds  near  the  cave's  mouth 
and  wholly  unconscious  of  the  trying  experience 
of  the  two  explorers.  The  commotion  and  sound 
of  rapidly  moving  feet  aroused  them,  and  almost 
immediately  Jo  and  Tom  appeared  upon  the 
scene.  Somewhat  breathlessly,  both  speaking  at 
once,  they  tried  to  describe  their  uncanny  experi- 
ences. 

"Hold  on  a  minute,"  said  Jim.  "Let's  get  the 
straight  of  this.  We  were  just  about  to  follow 
you  in,  for  we  found  nothing  in  the  little  mounds. 
Let's  know  what  to  expect." 

"I  will  have  to  go  back  anyway,"  said  Jo.  "I 
dropped  my  gun." 

"Sure.  We'll  go  with  you,"  replied  Jim. 
"Now  what  was  it  grabbed  you?" 


184     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE  SOUTH    SEAS. 

"It?"  replied  Tom.  "I  should  say  there  were 
three  or  four  of  them." 

"What  were  they  like?"  broke  in  Juarez. 
"Spirits  ?' 

"Well,  I  don't  know  just  what  a  spirit  is  like," 
replied  Tom.  "But  it  was  a  pretty  solid  kind  of 
thing  that  had  hold  of  me." 

"Me,  too,"  added  Jo.  "And  it  snorted  and 
puffed  like  a  grampus." 

"Well,  I  suppose  we  are  lucky  to  get  off  as  easy 
as  we  did,"  said  Tom,  "though  I  should  like  to 
know  what  they  were.  I  thought  the  whole  lot 
of  skeletons  were  coming  after  us,  but  I  don't 
believe  they  could  do  any  puffing  or  snorting.  It's 
time  we  were  getting  along." 

"We  will  be  ready  for  them  this  time,  what- 
ever they  are,"  determined  Jim,  who  had  been 
lighting  torches  so  that  each  could  be  supplied 
with  one. 

"Come  on  then,"  said  Jo.  "We  must  keep 
together  and  be  on  the  lookout." 

Arming  themselves  each  with  a  heavy  fagot 
which  made  a  serviceable  club,  the  four  bent 
their  footsteps  in  the  direction  of  the  chamber 
of  weird  experiences. 

The  silence  in  the  cave  was  profound,  the  occu- 


A    MYSTERIOUS    HAPPENING.  185 

pants,  if  any,  not  betraying  their  presence  by  the 
least  sound.  Cautiously  the  boys  advanced,  paus- 
ing now  and  then  as  they  approached  the  place 
where  the  surprise  had  occurred,  to  listen  and 
gaze  as  far  as  they  could  into  the  heavy  darkness; 
but  all  was  silence. 

"I  think  they  have  gone,"  said  Jo  at  length,  in 
a  voice  in  which  there  was  a  tremor  of  excitement. 

"No,  there  they  are,"  replied  Tom  in  a  whisper. 

"Where?"  asked  Jim. 

"There !"  responded  Tom,  indicating  several 
suspended  skeletons  of  full  length  which  were 
held  against  the  walls,  and  which  the  light  now 
revealed. 

"Oh,"  said  Jo,  "it  wasn't  them." 

"Well,  one  of  them  was,"  returned  Tom,  "for, 
I  felt  his  hand  on  me." 

"Must  have  been  this  one,  then,"  said  Jim, 
kicking  a  group  of  bones  with  his  foot.  "Here  is 
one  of  them  lying  on  the  floor.  You  must  have 
knocked  him  out,  Tom." 

"Here,  Jo,  is  your  gun  all  right,"  interposed 
Juarez. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE    CAVE. 


The  place  in  which  the  boys  stood  was  a 
circular  room  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  with 
a  height  of  some  twenty  feet.  There  was  but 
one  entrance,  that  by  which  they  had  come,  but 
high  up  on  the  wall  were  several  small  openings 
or  tunnel-like  passages.  Around  the  wall  of  the 
chamber  was  a  row  of  skeletons,  standing  stiffly 
upright.  There  was  a  great  roughly  hewed  stone 
god  or  idol  on  the  farther  side,  while  here  and 
there  close  around  it  on  the  surface  of  the  natural 
stone  floor  were  marks  where  fires  had  been  built. 
At  either  side  were  pyramidial  walls  of  human 
skulls,  all  perfect,  though  those  that  formed  the 
bottom  rows  were  black  with  age. 

As  the  light  from  the  torches  flashed  into  the 
space  several  large  bats  that  were  in  the  openings 
began  to  fly  wildly  about. 

"I  wonder  where  they  have  gone?"  said  Tom, 
gazing  blankly  around.  "There  was  certainly 
186 


THE  CAVE.  187 

something  that  had  hold  of  me,  but  there  isn't 
anything  here  now." 

'What  was  it  like?"  asked  Jim,  suddenly. 

"How  should  I  know,"  returned  Tom.  "I 
couldn't  see  it  in  the  dark." 

"But  you  could  feel,  couldn't  you?"  persisted 
Jim. 

"Why,"  returned  Tom,  "I  don't  know,  just  like 
any  person  I  should  say." 

"And  you,  Jo,"  went  on  Jim.  "What  was  yours 
like?" 

"Why,  like  anybody,  I  suppose,"  was  the  some- 
what indefinite  description. 

"Now,  what  is  the  matter?"  demanded  Tom, 
as  Jim  dropped  to  the  floor  in  a  paroxysm  of 
laughter. 

"Oh,  ho,  ho.  It's  too  funny  for  anything," 
returned  Jim  in  intervals  of  his  merriment. 

"What  is?"  demanded  Tom. 

"The  whole  business,"  returned  Jim  as  he 
struggled  to  regain  control  of  his  feelings. 

"Let  us  in  on  the  funny  part,"  said  Tom,  a 
little  sourly. 

"Well,  you  see,  when  you  dropped  the  torch — " 

"You  mean  that's  the  time  we  didn't  see,"  put 
in  Tom. 


188      FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

"One  of  those  big  bats  flopped  into  your 
face—." 

"Well?" 

"Then  you  two  started  to  run,  and,  of  course, 
you  ran  into  each  other  and  thought  something 
had  gotten  hold  of  you.  Oh,  ho,  ho!"  and  once 
more  Jim  was  doubled  up  in  his  paroxysms  of 
merriment. 

"I  guess  you  are  right,  Jim,"  said  Jo,  some- 
what sheepishly,  but  joining  in  the  laugh.  "I 
think  the  joke  is  on  us." 

"What  is  this  place  anyhow?"  asked  Tom, 
seeking  to  change  the  embarrassing  subject. 
"Was  it  an  underground  prison?" 

"I  think  it  was  a  burial  place  of  some  tribe," 
replied  Jim,  when  he  was  able  to  control  his 
laughter.  "You  see  the  skeletons  are  all  standing 
up  in  like  positions  as  if  they  were  placed  there 
after  death." 

"What  are  the  bats  doing  in  here?" 

"They  must  come  in  through  these  passrges 
above.  Some  holes  probably  let  out  onto  the  side 
of  the  hill,  and  the  bats  go  in  and  out  through 
them  at  night." 

"I  think,"  said  Tom,  as  they  made  their  way 


THE  CAVE.  189 

back  to  the  entrance,   "that  taking  all  together, 
that  was  the  worst  scare  I  ever  had." 

"Shake  on  that,  Tom,"  said  Jo. 

A  further  search  through  the  cave  was  fruit- 
less of  results,  so  far  as  looked  for  treasurer  was 
concerned,  and  their  original  plan  of  investi- 
gating the  smoke  signal  was  taken  up. 

A  walk  of  another  mile  brought  them  to  the 
spot  they  sought.  They  had  thus  far  encoun- 
tered no  one,  or  any  indication  of  the  presence  of 
inhabitants  on  the  island.  They  gained  finally 
the  summit  of  the  hill  from  which  the  column  of 
smoke  was  ascending.  They  found  that  this  had 
been  made  by  building  a  fire  in  a  small  chimney 
of  stones  and  covering  it  with  wet  leaves.  There 
was  an  opening  below  which  gave  just  sufficient 
draft  to  keep  the  fire  smouldering. 

But  little  could  be  seen  of  the  land  from  the 
top  of  the  hill  on  account  of  the  thick  woods, 
but  by  climbing  one  of  the  taller  trees,  which 
they  did  in  turn  while  the  others  kept  guard, 
they  were  enabled  to  make  out  that  they  were  on 
an  island  of  many  miles  extent,  and  that  another 
island  lay  some  five  or  six  miles  to  the  southwest. 
Most  unexpected  of  all  their  discoveries,  they  saw 
in  the  distance  far  out  upon  the  ocean  a  steamer 


190     FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

which  was  apparently  approaching  the  island. 
The  distance  was  too  great  to  determine  with  any 
definiteness  anything  about  her  character  or  prob- 
able intentions,  and  further  information  on  that 
point  would  have  to  be  sought  at  a  later  time. 

"I  can't  understand  that  smoke  business,"  said 
Tom,  once  more  examining  the  chimney-like 
arrangement  curiously.  "It  was  certainly  made 
by  someone,  yet  there  doesn't  seem  to  be  anyone 
about." 

'They  may  be  on  the  other  side  of  the  island," 
suggested  Jim,  "or  they  may  have  come  from  the 
other  island  and  gone  back  again." 

"But  why  should  they  have  come  over  here 
and  made  the  fire?"  persisted  Tom. 

"You  will  have  to  ask  them,"  laughed  Jim.  "I 
am  sure  I  don't  know,  or  why  they  should  have 
lighted  it  at  all.  But  some  of  us  had  better  return 
to  the  ship  or  I  am  afraid  that  the  professor  will 
be  getting  anxious." 

Arriving  at  the  landing  place,  Tom  elected  to 
go  oi^  board.  He  felt  that  he  had  had  enough  of 
excitement  and  adventure  for  one  day.  Jim 
accompanied  him,  while  Jo  and  Juarez,  the  spirit 
of  investigation  awakened,  promptly  set  out  on 


THE  CAVE.  191 

an  exploring  expedition  returning  however  with- 
out incident  at  nightfall. 

"Well,"  began  the  professor  that  evening  when 
they  had  gathered  on  the  deck  awaiting  the  supper 
call,  "what  did  you  find  out  about  the  island 
to-day?" 

"Not  much  of  importance,"  replied  Jim, 
"except  that  it  is  of  very  considerable  extent,  very 
rugged  and  mountainous." 

"But  Jo  had  an  awful  scare,"  broke  in  Tom. 

"You  mean  you  did,"  protested  Jo. 

"How  was  that?"  asked  the  professor. 

"Why,  we  found  a  cave  with  the  entrance  way 
up  in  the  air.  We  thought  at  once  that  it  was  the 
one  we  were  looking  for,  but  it  did  not  turn  out 
to  be,"  explained  Tom.  "And  then  we  found  a 
lot  of  skeletons  in  there,  and  they  got  after  us." 

"The  skeletons  did?" 

"Well,  something  did,"  replied  Tom  with  a 
grin.    "Then  Jo  and  I  beat  a  hasty  retreat." 

"Each  got  hold  of  the  other  in  the  dark," 
explained  Jim,  laughing,  "but  I  guess  they  had  a 
jolly  time  of  it  till  they  broke  away  and  ran.  It 
sure  was  funny. 

"Are  you  certain  there  wasn't  anything  unnat- 
ural in  there?" 


192     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"We  couldn't  find  anything  alive  except  some 
bats,  when  we  went  back,"  replied  Tom, 
"although  we  hunted  all  over." 

"What  kind  of  a  place  is  it?" 

"The  cave?" 

"No,  the  island." 

"It  seems  to  be  an  uninhabited  island  as  far 
as  we  could  see,"  answered  Jim. 

"Didn't  you  discover  any  signs  of  people  at 
all?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Jim.  "The  same  sign  we  saw 
from  this  deck.    The  smoke  signal." 

"That  cave  will  bear  further  investigation.  It 
is  certainly  very  curious,"  mused  the  professor. 

"What  is?"  queried  Tom. 

"About  that  smoke  on  the  mountain." 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  asked  Jim. 

"It  is  a  signal  of  some  kind,  but  if  the  island 
is  uninhabited,  who  could  have  made  it?" 

"Why  couldn't  the  ones  who  made  it  come 
from  some  Other  island?"  asked  Jim. 

"And  gone  back  again,"  suggested  Jc. 

"Perhaps  so,"  replied  the  professor,  "but  that 
doesn't  make  it  any  clearer. 

"You  never  can  see  through  smoke  very  well," 
suggested  Jo. 


THE    CAVE.  193 

"True,"  laughed  the  professor,  "but  still  some- 
how I  don't  like  it." 

"Then  we  saw  a  ship  in  the  distance,  appar- 
ently headed  for  this  island,  but  far  off  the  south- 
ern shore." 

"Six  o'clock,"  broke  in  Tom,  as  four  bells  were 
struck.  "I  think  I  will  accept  the  invitation  to 
dine." 

"A  good  plan,"  commended  the  professor, 
"and  Monday  we  must  get  an  early  start  and 
learn,  if  we  can  about  that  ship  you  saw,  and 
begin  a  more  thorough  exploration." 

"I  think  so,  too,"  replied  Tom. 

"What?"  asked  Jim. 

"Take  more  'rations'  with  us,"  replied  Tom. 

"Wake  up,  boy,"  cried  Jo,  giving  him  a  shove 
and  toppling  him  over  on  deck.  "You  think  so 
much  about  rations  that  you  are  getting  irra- 
tional." 

"That  gives  me  an  idea,"  began  Juarez,  when 
Jo  and  Tom  had  been  separted  and  quiet  restored. 

"An  idea  of  war?"  asked  Berwick. 

"No,"  laughed  Juarez.  'But  would  it  not  be 
a  good  thing  to  go  on  shore  and  camp  there  until 
we  had  made  a  complete  exploration  of  the 
place?" 


194     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Just  the  thing!"  cried  Jo  and  Tom. 

"I  am  afraid  it  is  hardly  wise,"  demurred  the 
professor.       , 

"Ugh!"  sniffed  Tom.  "I  guess  we  can  take 
care  of  ourselves." 

"Besides,  there  isn't  anyone  on  the  island," 
added  Jo. 

"Better  not  act  on  that  assumption,"  advised 
the  professor. 

"I  don't  know  but  what  it  would  be  a  good 
plan,"  said  Jim.  "We  would  be  able  to  get  over 
it  more  quickly  if  we  didn't  have  come  back  to 
the  boat  every  night." 

"There  is  something  in  that,"  admitted  the 
professor,  "though  as  far  as  I  can  see  this  doesn't 
look  like  the  portion  of  the  island  shown  on  the 
chart." 

"No,"  admitted  Jim,  "but  this  may  be  the 
opposite  end  of  the  island." 

"That  is  true,  too.  Suppose  we  go  down  into 
the  cabin  and  have  another  look  at  it?" 

"Do  you  think  it  will  be  safe?"  asked  Berwick. 

"Safe?     Why  not?" 

"You  know  what  happened  to  the  other  one," 
laughed  the  engineer. 

"It  probably  slipped  off  the  string,"  replied  the 


THE    CAVE.  195 

professor,  ''and  dropped  down  into  the  bilge. 
Anyway  we  appoint  you  watchman  to  see  if  any- 
one is  spying  about." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Berwick,  "but  I've  got  a 
kind  of  feeling  that  that  little  devil  of  a  Mexican 
ain't  far  away." 

"Booh!"  broke  in  Tom.  "Didn't  we  see  him 
go  up  into  the  air  with  the  lugger  ?" 

"Maybe  we  did,"  admitted  Berwick  gloomily, 
"but  I  don't  believe  fire  would  ever  hurt  him." 

"I  don't  believe  he  is  fire  proof,"  declared  Tom. 
"And  even  if  he  is  that  isn't  any  reason  why  we 
shouldn't  have  a  look  at  the  map." 

It  was  some  time  after  supper  before  the  mat- 
ter was  again  alluded  to,  then  they  all  went  below 
to  further  study  the  chart. 

Taking  the  precious  paper  from  his  pocket  and 
spreading  it  out  on  the  table,  Jim  and  the  pro- 
fessor analyzed  carefully  the  various  marks  and 
drawings. 

"We  have  got  pretty  well  fixed  in  mind  now 
the  shape  and  landmarks  of  the  island,"  said  Jim, 
when  they  had  studied  the  document  carefully. 
He  then  folded  up  the  chart,  putting  it  back  in 
his  pocket.  "We  should  keep  our  eyes  open  when 
we  are  on  shore.     There  are  two  or  three  land- 


196     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

marks  that  ought  to  help  us  find  the  cave  with- 
out much  difficulty  if  this  is  the  place." 

"There  cannot  be  many  caves,"  concluded  the 
professor,  "with  entrances  high  above  the  ground 
as  this  one  is  described  to  be." 

The  following  morning,  the  day  being  Sunday, 
was  spent  quietly  on  shipboard.  It  had  been  the 
custom  of  the  professor  since  the  commencement 
of  the  voyage  to  have  such  observances  of  the  day 
as  seemed  fitting.  There  was  a  service  which 
he  himself  conducted  at  eleven  o'clock.  There- 
after, all  who  wished  were  this  day  allowed  to  go 
on  shore. 

Of  the  Frontier  Boys,  Jim  and  Juarez  early 
in  the  afternoon  availed  themselves  of  the  priv- 
ilege. Juarez  was  the.  only  one,  however,  to 
wander  away  from  the  landing  beach.  Jim  spent 
some  time  readjusting  and  oiling  his  own  and 
his  brother's  guns,  which  he  had  brought  with 
him.  Jo  and  Tom  had  said  that  they,  with  Ber- 
wick, would  join  him  later  in  the  afternoon. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


AN    ADVENTURE. 


Juarez  had  intended  going  but  a  short  dis- 
tance, but  the  bright  sunlight,  the  charm  of  the 
hills,  the  luxuriant  foliage,  the  unusual  and  bril- 
liant wild  flowers,  all  these  attractions,  coupled 
with  his  own  exuberant  spirits  lured  him  on. 

He  reached  by  a  roundabout  route  the  top  of 
the  mountainous  elevation  which,  in  company 
with  his  comrade,  he  had  explored  the  day  before. 

Willing  to  rest  now  in  the  shade  of  some  bushes 
he  lolled  upon  the  ground,  and  lulled  by  the  whis- 
pering melodies  of  the  trees  was  about  to  drop 
off  to  sleep. 

Suddenly  his  attention  was  attracted  to  some 
motion  in  the  underbrush  at  a  point  a  third  of 
the  way  down  the  mountain.  He  watched 
intently  and  knew  that  some  person,  two,  prob- 
ably, were  ascending  the  slope.  In  his  efforts  to 
secure  a  better  viewpoint,  he  stretched  far  for- 
ward, too  far,  it  turned  out,  and  catching  wildly 
197 


198     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

and  ineffectively  for  a  support,  greatly  to  his 
astonishment,  he  slipped  and  fell  to  a  ledge  below. 
The  distance  was  not  great,  but  his  head  in  the 
descent  came  in  contact  with  a  projecting  rock, 
and  although  he  landed  upon  a  growth  of  thickly 
foliaged  bushes,  he  was  rendered  unconscious  by 
the  blow  he  had  sustained. 

He  was  aroused  some  time  later  by  voices  near 
at  hand,  one  of  which  he  immediately  recognized. 
It  was  the  steward  of  the  Storm  King  who  was 
speaking. 

"I  sent  you  the  chart  in  the  keg,  but  I  have 
learned  that  the  young  fellow  Jim  had  a  copy 
of  it,  which  he  carries  always  in  a  water  proof 
paper  in  his  pocket." 

The  listener  did  not  move.  He  was  as  securely 
hidden  as  if  by  a  prearranged  plan.  He  had 
not  been  observed,  and  while  he  did  not  see  the 
speakers  he  knew  that  those  to  whom  the  steward 
was  talking  must  be  of  the  rival  ship's  crew, 
probably  it  was  the  leader  himself  who  was  pres- 
ent here,  and  possibly  the  mate,  for  he  could 
tell  from  the  voices  there  were  two  of  the  despera- 
does. 

"Why  have  you  not  secured  the  copy  and 
destroyed  it?"  came  the  inquiry. 


AN  ADVENTURE.  199 

"I  cannot  do  it.  The  fellow  suspected  me. 
Besides  he  is  a  terror,  and  I  dare  not." 

"Dare  not!  What  would  your  life  be  worth 
if  I  told  the  authorities  at  home,  what  I  know 
about  you?" 

There  was  something  said  by  the  other  man 
which  Juarez  could  not  hear,  but  he  caught  the 
word  captain. 

"Dash  it,  man!"  said  the  one  addressed.  "I 
believe  you  are  right!" 

Then  it  was  the  steward  who  spoke,  "I  only 
know,"  he  said,  "that  I  got  the  chart  out  of  the 
secret  hiding  place  into  which  it  was  put.  I  can- 
not say  if  it  is  the  orignal,  the  right  chart." 

"Then  it  is  the  papers  which  that  fellow  you 
speak  of  has  now  that  we  must  have.  There  is 
something  wrong  about  the  chart  we  have  been 
working  with.  We  were  evidently  on  the  wrong 
island  entirely.    Things  did  not  figure  out  right." 

"It's  about  the  original  chart  that  I  came  to 
tell  you  to-day,"  responded  the  steward.  "Jh~ri 
is  at  this  moment  alone  in  the  little  shack  on 
Crescent  Bay." 

"Well,"  said  the  captain,  "why  don't  you 
get  it?" 

"It  cannot  be  gotten  unless  you  kill  the  fellow." 


200     FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Well,"  drawled  the  captain,  "and  why  not? 
You  have  done — " 

"Don't !  Don't !  I  had  been  drinking  then,"  was 
the  plaintive  protest. 

"So  you  want  to  turn  the  pleasant  task  over 
to  me,  eh  ?  Well,  I  guess  between  the  two  of  us 
we  can  manage  one  young  cub,  eh  mate  Marion  ?" 

There  was  no  reply,  but  doubtless  the  mate 
acquiesced  by  a  motion  of  the  head. 

"I  warn  you,  Captain  Beauchamp,  that  al- 
though he  is  young,  Jim  Darlington  is  a  difficult 
one  to  handle,"  cautioned  the  steward. 

"Jim  Darlington !"  gasped  the  captain.  It  was 
his  turn  to  be  surprised.  "I  thought  he  was 
dead." 

"On  the  contrary,  he  is  very  much  alive,  as  are 
the  other  Frontier  Boys." 

"Well,  I'll  be  blessed,"  said  the  captain,  the  old 
innkeeper  and  the  Senor's  man  told  me  all  the 
party  had  gone  up  with  the  old  hulk." 

Amid  frequent  expressions  of  astonishment  the 
steward  told  the  story,  as  he  had  learned  it,  of 
the  affair  at  San  Matteo  Bay,  ending  with  the 
rescue  of  the  entire  party. 

"Poor  Reynolds,"  laughed  Captain  Beauchamp. 
"He  must  have  had  a  jolly  meeting  with  the 


AN  ADVENTURE.  201 

Senor.  I  wrote  to  Reynolds  that  everybody  had 
been  blown  sky  high,  and  that  the  slate  was 
clean." 

The  mate,  whose  voice  was  a  low  grumble, 
made  some  remark  which  Juarez  could  not  hear. 

"Yes,  about  that  Jim,"  the  captain  was  saying. 
"What  we  want  to  do  is  to  surpise  him,  take 
him  unawares." 

Again  the  murmur  of  the  mate's  voice,  but  he 
spoke  too  low  for  his  words  to  be  heard. 

"It's  near  dusk,"  resumed  the  captain.  "In 
half  an  hour  it  will  be  pitch  dark.  We'll  jog 
along  towards  the  bay  and  take  some  observa- 
tions." 

The  listener  heard  no  more. 

Some  bird  flitted  into  a  branch  close  beside 
Juarez  and  uttered  a  gentle  chirp.  He  knew  that 
he  was  alone.  He  knew,  too,  that  a  serious  task 
was  cut  out  for  him.  To  descend  the  mountain  by 
the  route  he  had  come  and  reach  tfie  shack  or  shel- 
ter at  the  landing  place  would  necessitate  his  pass- 
ing the  villainous  pair  he  had  overheard.  This 
they  would  likely  prevent.  The  feat  was  well 
nigh  impossible. 

It  seemed  right  good  fortune  that  he  had  over- 
heard their  plans,  but  how  could  he  circumvent 


202     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

them?  He  had  it.  A  sudden  inspiration  burned 
into  his  soul.  He  must  descend  by  the  precipitous 
route  on  the  side  toward  the  sea  down  which  he 
and  Jo  had  traveled  the  day  before.  They  had 
made  the  descent  for  pleasure,  then,  helping  each 
other,  and  in  broad  daylight.  Could  he  do  the 
trick  alone  and  in  the  dark? 

He  tried  to  scramble  to  his  feet.  The  effort  sent 
a  paralyzing  pain  through  his  head  and  neck,  and 
Me  relaxed  again  with  a  stifled  moan.  After  a 
moment  he  tried  again,  more  slowly  now,  and  in 
spite  of  the  terrible  pain,  soon  staggered  to  his 
feet. 

He  looked  about.  Directly  above  him  was  an 
overhanging  boulder.  It  was  upon  its  jagged 
edge  he  had  struck  when  falling.  Below  was  the 
stone  turreted,  bushy  mountain  side.  Supporting 
himself  with  his  hands  he  crept  around  the  base 
of  the  boulder  and  soon  got  a  broader  outlook. 
His  gun,  as  too  great  a  handicap  to  carry  on  his 
trip,  he  discarded,  carefully  secreting  it. 

A  considerable  interval  must  have  elapsed  since 
he  received  that  paralyzing  abrasure  from  the 
rock  against  which  he  had  struck,  for  the  sun  was 
gone  and  a  melancholy  gloom  was  settling  over 
the  wild  landscape.  Assuredly  he  must  be  moving. 


AN   ADVENTURE.  203 

Those  unscrupulous  cutthroats  would  stop  at  noth- 
ing. And  was  not  Jim,  his  dearest  and  most 
admired  friend,  in  danger?  It  was  an  agonizing 
thought  that  gripped  his  mind. 

He  sprang  forward  with  a  spasmodic  intake  of 
the  breath,  and  sped  like  a  wild  faun  along  the 
rugged  hillside.  He  did  not  know  that  his  face 
and  head  were  caked  with  clotted  blood.  He  even 
forgot  the  throbbing  pain.  He  would  climb  down 
the  cliffs  by  the  difficult  and  undetermined  route 
he  had  traversed  the  day  before. 

Bursting  through  thickets  and  stumbling 
across  darkening  ravines  he  reached  the  point 
from  which  the  perilous  descent  of  the  cliff  side 
could  be  undertaken.  Gloomy  crags  towered 
above  him,  and  below,  the  almost  unknown  for- 
bidding way,  crowded  with  tragic  uncertainties. 

But  not  a  moment  could  be  spared.  Without 
hesitation  he  plunged  recklessly  into  the  abyss  and 
in  a  moment  was  hugging  the  cold  rocks,  clutch- 
ing at  supporting  twigs  and  undergrowths,  slid- 
ing, slipping,  almost  falling  down  a  frightful 
precipice. 

Once  he  lost  his  hold  entirely  and  felt  himself 
whirling  through  the  darkness,  but  he  writhed 
himself  upright  in  his  fall  and  brought  up  with  a 


204     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

smash  and  a  crash  in  the  dense  foliage  of  a  quertel 
nut  tree.  He  did  not  feel  the  torn  skin  on  face 
and  hands,  nor  know  that  a  fresh  torrent  of  blood 
burst  from  the  abrasure  on  his  head.  He  grouped 
blindly  for  the  splintered  rocks  at  the  trees'  base, 
felt  their  resisting  force  and  lunged  forward  once 
more. 

Soon  he  found  himself  on  a  sloping  bench  or 
shelf  whose  surface  was  on  a  level  with  the  tops 
of  some  trees  below,  and  he  remembered  the  spot. 
Here  Jo  and  he  had  enjoyed  a  grand,  view  of  the 
ocean,  enveloped  in  mystery  and  obscurity. 
Owing  to  the  absence  of  shrubbery  it  was  lighter 
here,  and  out  of  pure  necessity  he  was  compelled 
to  halt  for  breath.  He  leaned  against  the  wall  of 
rock  for  a  moment  before  commencing  the  next 
stage  of  the  journey. 

He  remembered  that  his  former  passage  had 
led  him  for  a  hundred  feet  or  more  before  bring- 
ing him  to  another  drop.  Straining  his  eyes 
along  the  stretch  of  shelf  he  suddenly  beheld  an 
object  emerge  from  the  darkness  and  grow  larger 
as  it  approached.  Then  appeared  another  and 
another  till  he  had  counted  six,  all  in  regular 
Indian  file  and  moving  in  absolute  silence. 

There  was  a  moment  of  dreadful  uncertainty. 


AN    ADVENTURE.  205 

Clearly  these  were  the  natives  of  this  or  some 
nearby  island,  and  the  first  that  he  or  any  of  his 
party  had  seen.  The  only  weapon  that  Juarez 
possessed  was  a  hunting  knife.  He  pressed  him- 
self against  the  rock  and  held  his  hand  to  throttle 
the  beating  of  his  heart.  They  approached.  Now 
he  heard  the  soft  shuffle  of  their  feet.  Closer, 
and  the  first  was  nearly  abreast  of  him.  Closer 
still,  and  the  man  glided  by  not  three  yards  away, 
as — happy  relief — did  his  followers: 

They  passed,  and  still  he  moved  not.  The 
subdued  twinkling  of  the  falling  gravel,  the  swish 
and  rattle  of  the  boughs  and  he  was  alone.  Then 
his  breath  came  back  with  a  spurt,  and  he  realized 
that  he  had  been  near  to  suffocation.  It  was  not 
that  he  feared  for  himself.  But  that  awful  re- 
sponsibility, the  warning  of  Jim.  He  must  do 
nothing,  attempt  nothing,  that  would  involve  the 
possibility  of  delay. 

But  there  was  no  time  for  musing.  The  half 
of  his  dangerous  descent  was  before  him.  He 
hurried  forward  again,  almost  running  along  the 
shelving  bench  although  he  knew  that  a  perpen- 
dicular drop  of  many  yards  was  but  a  few  inches 
from  his  nimble  feet.  He  knew  where  to  make 
the  next  plunge  downward  for  the  shelf  pinched 


206      FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

out,  and  there  was  no  other  way  of  advancing. 

Down  he  went  among  insecure  boulders,  frag- 
ments of  the  upper  cliff  thrown  off  by  some  con- 
vulsion of  nature,  and  again  he  had  a  dangerous 
fall.  He  struck  upon  his  side  and  slid  for  a  rod 
not  unlike  a  log,  bringing  up  with  a  serious  injury 
against  a  boulder.  Below  were  dwarf  compa- 
metos  trees,  and  beneath  them  he  squirmed,  the 
meager  light  shut  out  entirely  by  their  dense  foli- 
age. Soon  a  bed  of  prickly  leaves  and  ferns  told 
him  that  he  was  over  the  worst  of  the  road. 

Still  there  was  much  treacherous  footing  ahead 
and  he  stumbled  and  tripped  more  than  once.  But 
now  he  was  nearing  the  shack,  and  he  must  exer- 
cise all  his  caution  taught  by  long  experience  with 
the  Indians.  Noiseless  and  as  stealthy  as  a  cat 
he  squirmed  through  the  tangled  underbrush  till 
he  reached  the  sandy  margin  of  Crescent  Bay. 
Still  keeping  within  the  shadow  of  the  forest 
growth,  he  advanced  rapidly,  fearing  every  mo- 
ment that  some  overt  act  would  advise  him  that 
he  had  not  been  swift  enough. 

Now  he  was  within  call  of  the  shelter,  and  he 
gave  a  peculiar  signal,  a  note  of  warning  for  Jim 
if  he  were  awake.  There  was  no  response.  None 
when  the  call  was  again  repeated  louder.  Hor- 
rible thought!    Was  he  too  late? 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE    CAPTURE. 


Selecting  a  convenient  resting  place,  Jim  had 
sat  down,  and  for  the  second  time,  taking  up  his 
rifle,  went  over  it  carefully,  testing  the  lock  and 
cleaning  and  oiling  the  various  parts.  He  gave 
the  same  attention  to  the  other  guns.  When  this 
was  done,  he  went  over  the  ammunition  to  see 
that  it  was  all  in  order. 

Then,  having  no  further  task  to  engage  his 
attention,  a  drowsy  spell  appealing,  he  lay  down 
upon  a  moss  covered  bed  of  nature's  fashioning, 
and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  When  he  awoke  he 
knew  that  a  considerable  interval  had  elapsed, 
and  that  the  day  was  waning. 

He  looked  toward  the  ship,  but  all  was  quiet 
there. 

"It  is  time  that  Juarez  was  getting  back,"  he 

thought.     "I  hope  that  he  hasn't  got  into  any 

trouble.    And  the  boys,  too,  were  coming  ashore. 

But  I  suppose,"  he  added  whimsically,  "they  had 

207 


208     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

to  wait  till  Berwick  was  satisfied  that  Manuel 
wasn't  anywhere  around.  I  don't  see  any  signs 
of  their  coming,"  again  looking  toward  the  yacht, 
"I  think  I  will  see  if  I  can  find  Juarez." 

He  had  little  difficulty  in  following  Juarez's 
trail  as  he  had  gone  straight  forward  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  valley  which  skirted  the  peak  or  eleva- 
tion for  which  he  had  started. 

Although  he  was  not  apprehensive  of  an  at- 
tack, Jim  went  forward  cautiously,  looking  about 
him  as  he  proceeded,  with  his  gun  ready  for  use 
in  case  of  need.  He  had  gone  a  little  more  than 
a  quarter  of  the  way  to  the  cliff  when  the  ground 
became  rugged  with  large  rocks  and  occasional 
deep  crevices. 

He  became  impressed  at  this  point  with  the 
fancy  that  someone  was  about.  He  stood  motion- 
less, and  himself  hidden  discovered  that  some- 
one was  in  fact  approaching.  The  man  was 
moving  slowly  and  seemingly  without  special 
caution.  In  the  shadow  of  the  underbrush  Jim 
did  not  at  first  recognize  that  it  was  the  steward 
whose  movements  he  was  observing.  Then  he 
knew  that  it  was  that  individual. 

Here  was  an  opportunity  perhaps  to  learn 
something  of  this  suspected  person,  and  intent  on 


THE  CAPTURE.  209 


V 


this  object  Jim  stealthily  followed  in  the  other's 
footsteps.  He  was  mystified  by  his  actions,  for 
the  steward  seemed  to  have  no  definite  motive 
in  view.  He  moved  slowly  about  in  an  erratic 
course,  first  in  one  direction  then  another,  with- 
out apparent  reason. 

The  precautions  Jim  would  ordinarily  have 
taken  to  keep  a  lookout  about  him  were  omitted, 
and  of  a  sudden  he  was  himself  set  upon  by  two 
muscular  individuals  who  seemed  to  spring  from 
space,  and  taken  so  entirely  unawares,  before  he 
recognized  his  danger,  his  arms  were  pinioned. 
Notwithstanding  his  strenuous  struggles  he  was 
quickly  bound  and  a  helpless  captive. 

He  had  had  no  opportunity  even  to  get  a  look 
at  his  captors  before  he  was  blindfolded. 

"We  want  yer  company  for  a  period,"  a  soft 
well  modulated  voice,  with  a  southern  accent,  was 
speaking.  "Make  no  trouble,  and  I  will  know 
that  you  are  a  wise  young  man." 

"I  do  not  know  you.    What  do  you  want  ?" 

"First  and  foremost  the  chart  you  have  in  your 
pocket.  I  will,  since  your  hands  are  tied,  with 
your  kind  permission,  help  myself  to  that  now." 

Needless  to  say,  the  speaker  sought  out  and 


210     FRONTIER    BOYS    IN    THE    SOUTH    SEAS. 

took  possession  of  the  desired  document,  carefully 
bestowing  it  in  his  own  pocket. 

"Now  to  introduce  ourselves,  for  you  doubtless 
observed  that  there  are  two  of  us.  This  is  Mate 
Marion,  and  I  am  Captain  Beauchamp,  at  your 
service." 

"By  what  right,  captain,  do  you  detain  me,  and 
take  from  me  my  possessions?" 

"Oh,  all  is  fair  in  love  or  war,  is  it  not  so?" 

Ignoring  the  question  and  recognizing  the 
probability  that  argument  was  useless,  Jim  con- 
tented himself  with  an  inquiry : 

"What  do  you  propose  doing  with  me?" 

"I  shall  be  most  pleased  to  entertain  you  on 
board  my  ship." 

"For  what  purpose  is  my  presence  wanted 
there?"  '     ■ 

"Just  for  the  pleasure  of' your  company.  I  hear 
that  you  are  a  fine  young  fellow,  and  I  may  have 
a  proposition  to  make  to  you  that  will  be  worthy 
of  your  consideration.  Just  now  the  thing  to  do 
is  to  get  back  to  the  Marjorie.  I  will  make  this 
offer  now.  If  you  will  go  along  with  us  without 
causing  any  trouble,  you  shall,  as  a  reward,  not  be 
harmed." 

"But  I  am  blindfolded." 


THE  CAPTURE.  211 

"That  is  a  condition  easily  remedied,"  saying 
which,  the  handkerchief  was  removed  from  the 
captive's  eyes. 

Jim  recognized  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
trapped,  and  was  in  the  hands  of  a  wily,  adroit 
villain,  but  protest  or  a  struggle  for  freedom 
would  be  unavailing  under  the  existing  circum- 
stances, and  he  believed  that  his  wisest  plan  was 
to  make  the  best  of  his  fate  pending  better  oppor- 
tunity to  change  the  conditions  of  things. 

Guided  by  the  captain  and  mate  a  long  march 
was  undertaken,  and  at  a  late  hour,  with  slight 
knowledge  of  the  locality,  Jim  was  put  into  a 
rowboat  and  conveyed  on  board  a  ship  riding  at 
anchor  in  an  open  bay. 

He  was  soon  to  learn  that  he  was  a  prisoner 
on  board  that  vessel  of  questionable  purpose,  the 
Marjorie.  So  much  information  the  captain  him- 
self conveyed  to  him  when  releasing  the  bonds 
that  had  held  secure  his  arms.  He  was  placed 
in  a  small  compartment  known  as  the  ship  brig, 
and  a  securely  locked  door  barred  his  egress. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE    SEARCH. 


Toward  dusk  on  Sunday  evening,  Tom,  after 
a  lazy  day,  having  once  more  perused  the  paper 
bound  love  story  which  he  invariably  casried  in 
his  pocket,  was  reminded  of  his  promise  to  join 
Jim  and  Juarez  on  shore. 

He  called  to  Jo,  and,  while  waiting  for  him, 
let  down  into  the  long  boat  at  the  ship's  side  some 
small  casks,  which  were  to  be  filled  with  fresh 
water. 

"When  you  get  ashore,  send  the  steward  on 
board/'  said  the  professor.  "It's  near  supper 
time,  and  he  should  be  here." 

"What  did  he  go  ashore  for?"  asked  Tom. 

"He  said  that  he  wanted  to  look  for  some 
kind  of  leaves  that  he  wished  for  flavoring." 

"H'm,"  drawled  Tom.  "Hope  he  hasn't  gone 
to  look  for  something  to  poison  us  with." 

"What  makes  you  so  prejudiced  against  the 
steward,  Tom?"  asked  the  professor.  "There 
212 


THE  SEARCH.  213 

isn't  anything  against  him,  except  that  he  is  a 
Mexican,  and — " 

"That's  enough  for  one  thing,"  asserted  Tom. 
"I  am  pretty  sure  that  he  is  the  one  that  has 
caused  all  the  trouble  here." 

"But  why?"  persisted  the  professor.  "He  has 
been  my  steward  off  and  on  for  many  years,  and 
he  has  always  been  faithful  and  honest." 

"Maybe  he  has,"  persisted  Tom.  "But  still  I 
don't  trust  him." 

"All  right,  Tom,"  replied  the  professor,  laugh- 
ingly, "keep  your  eye  on  him,  but  still  I  think  he 
is  all  right." 

"I  say,  Tom,"  broke  in  Jo,  who  had  climbed 
down  into  the  small  boat,  "if  you  are  coming  you 
had  better  make  a  start  and  hurry  up  Berwick. 
It  will  be  night  before  we  get  away.  Say,  what 
did  you  do  with  the  rowlocks?" 

"What  would  I  do  with  them,"  retorted  Tom. 
''Left  them  in  their  place,  of  course." 

"Well,  they  are  not  there  now,"  grumbled  Jo. 
"How  do  you  think  we  are  going  to  row  with- 
out any  rowlocks?" 

"What  is  that?"  asked  the  professor. 

"Somebody  has  taken  the  rowlocks  out  of  the 


214     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

boat,"  complained  Tom,  "and  Jo  seems  to  think 
I  did  it." 

"Perhaps  some  of  the  crew  took  them  out  when 
they  were  unloading  it  last,"  suggested  the  pro- 
fessor. But  a  hasty  questioning  of  the  men  who 
had  hoisted  out  the  filled  casks  showed  that  they 
had  not  removed  them. 

"It  is  certainly  strange,"  admitted  the  pro- 
fessor.    "Are  they  all  gone?" 

"All  of  them,"  returned  Jo,  emphatically. 

"Well,  you  will  have  to  get  some  out  of  the 
storeroom,"  said  the  captain,  who  had  been  at- 
tracted by  the  discussion.  "I  think  it  is  likely 
someone  has  taken  them  out  and  forgotten 
them." 

"Now,  then,"  cried  Jo,  when  the  other  row- 
locks had  been  put  in.  "Where's  Berwick?  Give 
him  a  hail,  will  you?" 

At  this  instant  Berwick  came  up  the  ladder 
from  the  engine  room,  excitedly  swinging  an 
iron  bar. 

"Hallo,"  called  Tom.  "What  have  you  got 
there?" 

"What  do  you  think  of  that !"  demanded  Ber- 
wick  as  he  came  toward  the  others. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  the  professor. 


THE  SEARCH.  215 

"ft  is  an  iron  bar  that  I  found  wedged  in  the 
engine,"  replied  Berwick.  "I  thought  I  would 
take  a  look  over  the  engine  before  I  went  ashore 
and  I  found  this." 

"What  was  it  doing  there?"  asked  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"Well,  it  wasn't  doing  anything,"  replied  Ber- 
wick, grimly,  "but  if  the  engine  had  been  started 
with  that  thing  in  it,  it  would  have  made  a  junk 
heap  of  the  whole  thing  in  about  ten  seconds." 

"How  did  it  get  there?"  asked  Tom. 

Berwick  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"You  know  as  much  about  it  as  I  do.  Who- 
ever put  it  there  meant  mischief.  If  that  infernal 
little  hunchback  isn't  around — " 

"His  first  cousin  is,"  supplemented  Tom,  "but 
he  has  gone  ashore  now  and  I  don't  believe  he 
will  be  back." 

"Who  are  you  talking  about?"  demanded 
Berwick. 

"The  steward." 

"I  am  not  quite  ready  to  concede  that,"  said 
the  professor,  "but  I  think  there  is  a  traitor  aboard 
somewhere,  and  there  is  mischief  brewing.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  get 
Jim  and  Juarez  on  board  again  until  we  can  clear 


216     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

this  thing  up.  Get  over,  boys,  into  the  boat.  1 
am  going  with  you." 

Tom  ran  down  the  ladder  into  the  boat,  fol- 
lowed by  the  professor,  and  in  a  moment  the  boat 
was  speeding  for  the  shore  as  fast  as  Tom  and 
Jo  could  pull  it. 

"Where  are  your  guns?"  asked  the  professor, 
when  they  landed. 

"We  left  them  with  Jim,"  replied  Jo.  "He 
was  to  bring  them  ashore  and  clean  them  up. 

"Jim  and  Juarez  were  to  be  somewhere  abouts 
but  I  don't  see  either  of  them,"  put  in  Tom. 

"They  certainly  are  not  here  now,"  exclaimed 
the  professor,  anxiously. 

"They  can't  be  far  away,"  said  Tom.  "Wait 
until  I  give  them  a  call.  Ohe-ee !  Jim !  Juarez ! 
Oho-e-e!"  he  shouted. 

There  was  no  response,  however,  to  their  re- 
peated calls. 

"It's  strange,"  said  the  professor.  "Look 
around  and  see  if  you  can  find  their  trails." 

"Here's  the  guns."  cried  Jo,  a  moment  later, 
"hid  away  in  these  bushes." 

"That's  queer,"  commented  the  professor, 
"they  must  have  gone  off  somewhere,  but  why?" 

"Here's  Juarez's  trail,"  announced  Tom.     "I 


THE  SEARCH.  217 

can  see,  too,  that  he  went  off  first  and  that  Jim 
went  afterward." 

"Better  take  your  guns  along,  boys,"  advised 
the  professor.  "There  is  no  telling  what  we  may 
meet." 

Picking  up  their  guns  the  boys  started  off  on 
the  trail  with  Tom  in  the  lead.  They  had  not 
gone  very  far  on  the  way  when  Tom  stopped  and 
raised  his  hand. 

"There  is  something  or  someone  coming,"  he 
whispered  as  the  others  came  up  with  him.  "Get 
behind  or  into  the  bushes  until  we  see  who  it  is, 
or  what." 

Only  a  person  with  ears  trained  by  experience 
in  the  woods  would  have  detected  the  approach 
of  someone  as  Tom  had.  There  was  an  occa- 
sional snapping  of  a  twig  or  rustling  in  the  bushes 
as  the  coming  object  moved.  There  was  an  un- 
evenness  about  the  movements  that  puzzled  the 
boys. 

With  his  rifle  cocked  and  ready  for  instant  use, 
Tom  crouched  behind  the  bush  ready  for  quick 
action  if  necessary.  Then  as  the  figure  of  some- 
one came  into  view,  moving  slowly,  and  stealth- 
ily through  the  woods,  he  sprang  forward. 


218     FRONTIER   BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"Hallo,  Juarez,"  he  called.  "Anything  the 
matter?    Where  have  you  been?" 

•  'Where  is  Jim  ?"  asked  Juarez. 

"Jim?"  echoed  Tom.  "I  don't  know.  Isn't 
he  with  you?" 

"Then  those  pirates  have  got  him!"  exclaimed 
Juarez.  "I  tried  to  get  back  to  warn  him,  but 
I  had  a  fail,  and  it  took  me  longer  than  I 
expected." 

"Come.  Sit  down  and  tell  us  about  it,"  said 
the  professor,  fixing,  meanwhile  a  place  beneath 
a  tree,  "while  I  see  what  is  the  matter  with  you. 
Where  are  you  hurt?" 

"It  is  my  foot,"  explained  Juarez.  "I  expect 
I  strained  it  when  I  fell.     I  can  hardly  walk." 

"Hardly!"  exclaimed  the  professor  when  he 
examined  Juarez's  foot.  "It's  a  wonder  you 
walked  at  all.  You  have  a  dislocation.  And 
your  head,  too?" 

"Never  mind  that,"  cried  Juarez.  "Never 
mind  anything.  We  want  to  get  after  the 
pirates." 

"All  in  good  time,  Juarez,"  replied  the  pro- 
fessor. "The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  you  into 
shape  again,  for  we  shall  need  your  help.  Here, 
Tom,  you  get  a  hold  of  this  leg.    Hold  it  steady, 


THE  SEARCH.  219 

now,  ready."  With  a  little  click  the  bone  slipped 
back  into  place  when  the  professor  gave  a  pull 
and  a  little  twist  to  the  foot,  but  although  Juarez's 
face  went  white,  he  did  not  utter  a  sound. 

"Now,"  commanded  the  professor,  "see  if  you 
can  get  some  cold  water,  Jo,  and  Tom,  you  find 
something  for  a  bandage.  You'll  find  some  sail 
cloth  among  the  stuff  we  brought  in  the  boat." 

Tom  was  off  in  a  second  to  return  presently 
with  a  strip  of  cloth  as  Jo  came  up  with  his  cap 
full  of  water.  Tearing  the  material  into  strips 
and  dipping  them  into  the  water,  the  professor 
soon  had  both  Juarez's  head  and  foot  bandaged 
in  a  way  that  gave  him  comparative  relief. 

"Now,"  said  the  professor,  "tell  us  about  Jim." 

Whereupon  Juarez  told  briefly  of  his  journey 
that  afternoon,  and  how,  when  trying  to  observe 
the  approach  of  some  strangers,  he  had  fallen, 
and  then  he  repeated  the  conversation  he  had 
overheard,  and  told  how  he  had  tried  to  get  back 
to  the  shore  in  time  to  warn  Jim  of  the  impend- 
ing danger.  All  listened  intently  and  Tom  could 
not  avoid  an  occasional  interruption  to  express 
his  opinion  of  the  steward. 

"The  villain !"  cried  Tom  between  his  teeth,  in 
a  tone  that  boded  ill  for  the  man. 


220     FRONTIER    BOYS   IN    THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

"You  were  evidently  right,"  the  professor  re- 
luctantly admitted,  "the  man  is  a  traitor." 

"I  hope  we  catch  him,"  cried  Jo. 

"Come  on,  now,"  says  Tom,  starting  up. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  asked  the  professor. 

"To  help  Jim.  If  you  will  stay  with  Juarez, 
Jo  and  I  will  follow  up  his  trail,"  responded 
Tom. 

This  seemed  feasible  and  wise  and  aided  by 
some  instructions  given  by  Juarez  they  were  in 
a  measure  able  to  make  good  progress.  They 
soon  came  upon  a  place  where  there  were  evi- 
dences of  a  struggle,  and  here  they  carefully 
searched  about  and  called  loudly,  but  got  no 
response. 

But  one  inference  was  possible,  Jim  had  been 
overpowered  by  a  superior  force  and  made  pris- 
oner; so  they  reluctantly  returned  to  the  pro- 
fessor with  this  report. 

"We  can't  do  anything  more  to-night,"  deter- 
mined the  professor.  "It  is  too  late.  If  there 
are  enemies  about  under  cover  of  darkness  they 
have  every  advantage.  I  think  our  best  plan 
would  be  to  go  back  to  the  Storm  King  and  make 
our  plans  for  to-morrow.     With  a  night's  rest, 


THE  SEARCH.  221 

i 

Juarez  will  be  in  shape  to  help  us,  and  we  will 
have  Berwick,  too." 

"But  they  may  kill  Jim  before  morning,"  ob- 
jected Tom. 

"I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger  of  that,"  re- 
plied the  professor.  "They  would  not  have  both- 
ered to  take  him  prisoner  if  any  harm  were  in- 
tended. If  we  went  on  now,  even  if  we  knew 
what  direction  to  take,  we  would  only  be  work- 
ing in  the  dark,  literally  and  figuratively.  We 
will  have  to  reconnoitre  a  little  first  and  plan 
accordingly." 

"I  don't  know  but  whatj  you  are  right,"  admit- 
ted Tom,  very  reluctantly,  "but  it  doesn't  seem 
the  right  thing  to  do  to  leave  Jim  that  way." 

"Festina  lenta,  Tom,"  rejoined  the  professor. 
"You  remember  the  old  proverb,  'Make  haste 
slowly.'  We'll  do  more  by  not  trying  to  do  things 
too  quickly.  WTe  will  go  back  and  get  ready  for 
to-morrow." 

"What  do  you  know  about  this  Captain  Beau- 
champ,  who  is  evidently  the  commander  of  the 
Marjorie?"  Jo  inquired. 

"He  is  a  buccaneer,  a  pirate  and  a  slave  to  do 
the  bidding  of  anyone  who  will  pay  for  his  serv- 
ice.    Still  he  has  the  reputation  for  dealing  fairly 


222     FRONTIER   BOYS  IN   THE   SOUTH    SEAS. 

and  is  far  more  likely  to  hold  Jim  as  hostage  for 
ransom  or  other  advantage  than  to  do  him  bodily 
harm." 

"Have  you  ever  had  dealings  with  the  captain  ?" 

"No.  I  have  never  seen  him.  Know  of  him 
only  by  hearsay.  He  is  rather  well  educated,  and, 
I  hear,  sometimes  speaks  with  a  southern  drawl, 
but  he  even  varies  that  to  suit  himself." 

"I  shall  be  better  satisfied  when  I  know  Jim  is 
safe,"  concluded  Jo. 

"Indeed  we  all  shall,"  said  the  professor,  and 
addressing  Juarez,  "What  do  you  make  out  about 
the  natives,  whom  you  observed  as  you  were 
coming  down  the  cliff  side?" 

"I  knew  that  they  were  natives  by  their  dress, 
or  lack  of  it,"  said  Juarez.  "They  had  but  very 
little  clothing  on,  and  I  believe  that  two  of  the 
party  were  ill,  for  the  other  four  at  times  assisted 
their  comrades." 

"Likely  you  were  right,"  asserted  the  professor. 
"Probably  it  was  a  pilgrimage  to  the  sulphur 
spring. 

With  occasional  help  and  the  aid  of  a  stick 

which  Jo  cut  to  a  proper  length  and  fashioned  in 

the  form  of  a  crutch,  Juarez  was  able  to  get  back 
\ 


THE  SEARCH  223 

to  the  boat  with  comparative  ease,  and  they  were 
soon  rowing  toward  the  yacht. 

Arriving  on  board  they  found  that  the  steward 
had  not  yet  returned. 

"A  good  thing  for  him,"  asserted  Tom.  An 
opinion  which  no  one  could  gainsay. 

"Now,  boys,"  advised  the  professor  when  a 
late  supper  had  been  eaten  and  a  short  consulta- 
tion had  been  held,  "you  had  better  get  off  to 
your  bunks.  Even  if  you  don't  feel  inclined  to 
sleep,  you  will  get  some  needed  rest,  and  that- is 
important,  as  we  are  likely  to  have  a  hard  day's 
work  ahead  of  us  for  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


THE    CHIEF    OF    RARIHUE. 


Before  dawn  of  the  next  morning  the  party 
were  all  on  deck  ready  for  a  start  as  soon  as  it 
was  light  enough  to  see  their  way  through  the 
woods.  Hardly  had  they  assembled,  however, 
when  there  came  one  of  those  sudden  terrific 
storms  which  are  so  frequent  in  the  southern  seas. 
The  downpour  lasted  about  a  half  hour  to  the 
regret  of  Jo  and  Tom,  who  had  hoped  to  read- 
ily strike  and  follow  the  trail  of  Jim  and  his  cap- 
tors.    Some  other  plan  would  now  be  necessary. 

"I  think,"  said  the  professor,  who,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  Jim,  had  tacitly  assumed  the  leadership, 
that  we  had  better  go  prepared  for  an  overnight 
stay." 

"Why  do  you  think  it  will  take  us  so  long?" 
questioned  Jo. 

"That  is  something  we  cannot  tell,     responded 
the  professor.     "We  don't  know  what  we  may 
have  to  contend  with.     We  have  a  powerful  and 
224 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  225 

wily  enemy  in  Captain  Beauchamp,  and  we  will 
have  to  accomplish  our  ends  by  strategy  rather 
than  by  force." 

"Have  you 'got  any  plan,  professor?"  asked 
Tom. 

"Only  in  a  general  way,"  replied  the  professor. 
"We  shall  have  to  act  as  seems  best  as  things 
turn  up." 

"What  is  the  first  thing  to  be  done?"  asked 
Tom. 

"I  propose,"  answered  the  professor,  "that  we 
go  to  the  place  where  you  saw  the  column  of 
smoke." 

"What  do  you  expect  to  find  there  that  we  did 
not?" 

"Nothing,  perhaps,  but  I  think  that  that  is  the 
highest  point  on  the  island,"  explained  the  pro- 
fessor, "and  from  there  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
get  a  fair  idea  of  the  size  and  sha'pe  of  the  place 
and  the  character  of  the  country." 

"And  from  that  we  can  plan  our  campaign," 
said  Berwick. 

"Exactly.  Now,  then,"  he  went  on  a  moment 
later,  "if  you  are  all  ready  we  will  get  away.  Be 
careful,  boys,  for  it  is  more  than  likely  that  our 
movements  are  watched." 


226         FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

The  first  faint  light  of  the  coming  day  was  be- 
ginning to  show,  and  the  stars  were  fading  before 
the  coming  dawn.  Away  off  to  the  right  of  the 
yacht  as  she  swung  at  her  anchor  on  the  incoming 
tide  the  shore  loomed  heavy  and  black,  a  thick 
blot  in  the  inky  darkness.  There  was  almost  an 
unnatural  stillness  over  the  harbor,  the  only 
sound  to  break  the  quiet  being  the  soft  lap,  lap, 
of  the  ever  restless  waves  beating  against  the  side 
of  the  vessel. 

Their  voices  sounded  so  unnaturally  loud  when 
they  spoke  to  one  another  that  they  all  uncon- 
sciously dropped  their  tone  to  a  whisper. 

Despite  his  protests  that  he  was  in  fit  condi- 
tion to  accompany  the  others,  it  was  decided  that 
Juarez  should  remain  on  the  yacht. 

"You  are  really  not  able  to  travel,"  insisted 
Tom. 

"And  you  will  be  in  shape  to-morrow  when  we 
will  need  you  more,"  added  Jo  in  an  effort  at 
consolation. 

"Beside,"  explained  the  professor,  "you  may 
possibly  be  of  more  service  here  than  if  you  went 
along.  The  captain  might  need  your  aid,  for  we 
cannot  tell  what  may  happen,  and  you  are  the 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  227 

only  one  beside  Mr.  Berwick  who  knows  any- 
thing about  the  engine." 

"If  you  really  think  so,"  reluctantly  acquiesced 
Juarez. 

"Most'  decidedly,"  affirmed  the  professor.  "I 
would  advise  that  you  get  up  enough  steam  in  the 
boiler  to  sound  the  whistle  if  necessary.  I  don't 
know  that  there  will  be  any  occasion  for  it,  but 
if,  for  any  reason,  you  should  want  to  call  us, 
you  can  give  three  blasts  upon  the  whistle,  and 
we  will  act  accordingly." 

During  this  time  the  boys  had  been  silently 
taking  their  positions  in  the  small  boat;  Tom,  by 
direction  of  the  professor,  in  the  bow,  while  To 
and  Berwick  took  the  oars. 

"You  need  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  ahead," 
advised  the  professor  when  they  started.  "We 
are  liable  to  run  into  almost  anything,  and  we 
don't  want  to  be  caught  unawares." 

"All  right,"  responded  Tom.  "I've  got  my 
eyes  and  ears  wide  open." 

As  silently  as  a  spectral  boat,  the  little  craft 
slipped  through  the  darkness,  the  rowers  dipping 
their  oars  almost  without  a  creak  or  jar.  Never- 
theless they  advanced  rapidly  toward  the  shore 


228        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

that  loomed  up  grim  and  forbidden  like  a  wall 
of  impenetrable  darkness. 

It  was  but  a  few  minutes  before  the  boat  was 
run  up  on  the  beach  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  and 
the  party  disembarked.  The  boat  was  then  car- 
ried a  sufficient  distance  on  to  the  shore  and  hid- 
den in  the  heavy  underbrush. 

"Now,  boys,"  began  the  professor  when  they 
had  completed  their  preparations,  "you  are  our 
scouts  and  we  have  to  depend  upon  you  to  thwart 
our  enemies,  if  they  are  about.  Tom,  you  had 
better  take  the  lead,  and  Jo  will  cover  the  rear. 
Instead  of  the  long  way  around  that  you  took 
when  you  last  sought  the  smoke  signal,  I  think 
we  will  adopt  the  direct  and  more  rugged  climb, 
as  less  liable  to  ambush.  When  you  are  ready,  go 
ahead." 

Without  making  any  reply,  Tom,  with  his  rifle 
in  his  hand  ready  for  immediate  use,  slipped  away 
among  the  bushes.  Berwick  followed,  then  the 
professor  and  Jo  last.  It  was  light  enough  at  this 
{ime  for  Tom  to  make  his  way  among  the  rocks, 
which  at  this  point  were  piled  up  in  great  masses, 
covering  the  ground  just  as  they  had  fallen  from 
the  cliffs  above. 

There   was   a   semblance   of   a  path   or   way 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  229 

through  the  rocky  defile  which  led  with  many 
turns  and  twists  along  the  course  of  what,  in  the 
wet  season  was  apparently  the  bed  of  a  stream, 
but  although  this  roadway  was  less  difficult  to 
negotiate,  Tom  ignored  it  and  kept  to  the  more 
rugged  way,  skirting  the  bed  of  the  water  course. 

Pushing  on  energetically,  Tom  opened  up  a  gap 
between  himself  and  the  others  for  whom  the 
professor  set  the  pace,  a  less  rapid  one.  Glancing 
ahead  they  saw  that  Tom  had  halted  and  was 
signaling  for  a  cautious  advance. 

A  little  farther  on  the  hum  of  voices  broke  upon 
their  ears.  They  were  approaching  the  sulphur 
spring,  and  from  that  direction  the  sound  ema- 
nated. There  was  a  babble  of  tongues,  jabbering 
in  some  unfamiliar  language. 

"A  party  of  natives  at  the  spring,"  concluded 
the  professor. 

A  cautious  approach  brought  the  islanders  un- 
der observation,  though  the  professor  and  his 
party  were  hidden  from  the  others.  There  may 
have  been  a  dozen  of  the  tribe  men  grouped  about 
the  spring.  The  one,  most  impressive  appearing 
of  the  lot,  had  evidently  but  just  completed  a  bath 
and  just  resumed  his  scanty  garments  which  he 
was  then  adjusting.    This  person  was  not  as  dark 


230        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

of  skin  as  those  about  him,  and  from  the  servilent 
actions  of  the  others  it  could  readily  be  assumed 
that  he  was  their  king  or  chief.  None  of  the  party 
were  armed. 

The  professor  viewed  the  scene  for  a  brief  in- 
terval, then,  without  hesitation  stepped  from  be- 
hind the  barrier  of  leaves.  Instantly  the  island- 
ers were  alert  and  calls  and  exclamations  rilled 
the  air.  All  were,  however,  silenced  by  the  chief, 
who  turned  now  for  the  first  time  and  faced  the 
visitors.  To  the  latter's  great  astonishment  the 
chief  immediately  sprang  forward,  advancing  to- 
ward the  professor.  Jo  and  Tom  quickly  raised 
their  rifles,  but  as  quickly  lowered  them  again, 
when  they  saw  that  the  approach  was  without 
menace. 

The  onlookers'  astonishment  was  greater  still 
when  they  heard  the  chief  in  the  best  of  English 
say,  "My  dear  friend,  what  are  you  doing  here?" 

"Rather,  may  I  say,"  was  the  prompt  reply, 
"what  are  you  doing  here,  my  dear  Jranvin? 
What  in  all  reason  brought  you  to  this  end  of 
the  world?" 

Thus  saluted,  and  with  further  manifestations 
of  regard,  esteem  and  affection  the  two  men 
grasped  hands,  and  with  the  other  hand  upon 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  231 

each    other's    shoulders,    stood    thus    for    a    full 
minute. 

It  was  the  professor  who  first  bethought  him- 
self of  the'  surroundings,  and  with  a  recognition 
that  they  were  not  alone  upon  the  scene,  he  cried : 

"Here,  boys,  and  Berwick.  Here  is  my  old 
and  well  regarded  friend.  Let  me  make  you  ac- 
quainted, Jranvin,  with  Jo  Darlington  and  his 
brother  Tom  and  Mr.  Berwick." 

Greetings  were  exchanged,  the  islanders  indif- 
ferently looking  on,  and  the  professor  undertook 
to  hastily  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  his  friends. 
There  was  little  he  could  say,  however,  and  ex- 
planations had  to  come  naturally  from  the  chief, 
for  such  he  announced  himself  to  be. 

"It's  not  a  long  story,"  he  said,  "my  being 
here,  and  very  briefly,  in  a  nutshell,  it  is  this " 

"Why,"  broke  in  the  professor,  "when  I  last 
saw  you  in  London,  you  were  ill,  had  been  ill  for  a 
long  time,  and  in  truth  I  may  say,  I  never  thought 
to  see  you  again  on  this  earth." 

"That's  the  starting  point,"  said  Mr.  Jranvin. 
"I  was  condemned,  given  up  to  die,  by  slow  and 
harrowing  processes,  but  chance,  if  there  ever  be 
such  a  thing  in  this  world,  started  me  on  a  voy- 


232        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

age  to  Japan.  That's  some  years  ago.  To  Japan 
I  never  got." 

''Shipwrecked?"  questioned  the  professor. 

"You  hit  it.  Shipwrecked,  and  right  upon  this 
island.  And  over  here  on  our  island  of  Rarihue 
we  have  lived  ever  since.  My  health  is  restored 
and  my  life  is  lived  among  my  friends  here,  who 
made  me  their  chief,"  and  he  waved  his  hand  to 
the  party  of  islanders  grouped  about.  "My 
friends  they  are,  and  as  true  as  steel." 

"Then  do  you  never  intend  to  go  back  to  your 
home  and  country?"  ventured  Jo. 

"Home  I  have  none,  nor  country.  This  is  my 
world  and  none  other  am  I  likely  to  seek." 

"You  do  not  live  then  on  this  island?" 

"No,  but  now  and  then  I  send  here  or  come 
for  a  supply  of  the  waters  of  this  wonderful  min- 
eral spring.  It  possesses  health-giving  properties 
that  would  be  recognizable  by  any  expert.  Here 
is  a  chance  for  you,  my  dear  friend,  to  make  a 
fortune,"  he  said,  laughing.  "By  the  way,  you 
have  not  told  me  yet  what  brought  you  to  this 
far  off  quarter.  Going  to  settle  down  and  live  a 
life  that's  worth  while?" 

"We  are  looking  for  a  fortune,  and  a  mineral 
one,  but  not  a  mineral  spring." 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  233 

Mr.  Jranvin,  or  the  chief,  as  they  soon  learned 
to  call  him,  glanced  quickly  at  the  party  and  for 
a  moment  studied  each  face. 

"All  willing  to  jeopardize  your  lives  for  gold, 
and  when  gotten  what  do  you  do  with  it?" 

"Why,  live  in  comfort,"  laughed  the  professor, 
"as  you  do." 

"Yes,  as  I  do  without  it,"  returned  the  other, 
smilingly. 

"Perhaps,  though,  you  can  help  us  in  our 
search,  since  having  no  need,  we  cannot  be  rob- 
bing you." 

"You  will  find  no  treasure  on  this  island,"  was 
the  firm  response.  And  then  he  again  looked  in- 
tently into  each  of  the  three  faces  before  him, 
ignoring  only  that  of  the  professor. 

"You  have  looked  for  the  treasure  yourself," 
questioned  the  professor,  "and  there  was  none 
here?" 

"There  was,"  replied  the  chief.  "But  it  is 
gone." 

"The  fortunes  of  war,"  said  the  professor 
lightly.  "Really,  though,  while  we  have  been 
talking  we  may  have  been  devoting  to  you  time 
we  owe  to  one  of  our  party,  for  our  expedition 


234        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

this  morning  is  one  of  search  of  a  missing  mem- 
ber of  our  company." 

The  chief  was  then  told  of  Jim's  probable  cap- 
ture by  the  captain  of  the  Marjorie. 

"Beauchamp,  eh?  So  he  is  around  again. 
Well,  we  on  Rarihue  concern  ourselves  but  little 
with  the  outside  world.  Rarihue  has  no  harbor 
and  only  small  boats  can  effect  a  landing.  Ex- 
cepting for  Bohoola  the  island  we  are  on,  and 
one  other  uninhabited  island,  there  is  no  other 
land  within  two  hundred  miles.  We  are  not  a 
fighting  people,  and  have  no  real  need  to  be.  I've 
taught  them  to  fight  only  for  their  homes.  But  if 
I  can  help  you  in  any  way,  be  assured  of  my  will- 
ingness." 

The  professor  told  of  his  own  ship,  and  the  har- 
bor where  it  was  anchored.  The  "North"  har- 
bor, the  chief  recognized  it  to  be.  Could  informa- 
tion be  given  as  to  the  probable  anchorage  of  the 
Marjorie  ? 

"Surely.  In  the  South  harbor,  which  is  less 
than  a  half  dozen  miles  away,  on  the  other/side 
of  the  island.  Wait  a  moment,"  added  the  chief. 
"I  will  speak  with  my  men."  This  he  did,  and 
promptly  reported.     "Yes,  there  is  a  ship  at  an- 


THE  CHIEF  OF  RARIHUE  235 

chor  there.  It  is  quite  certainly  your  objective 
point." 

Censuring  himself  for  the  long  delay,  the  pro- 
fessor now  gave  the  order  to  press  on.  The  two 
old  time  friends,  thus  oddly  thrown  together, 
grasped  hands  and  made  promises  to  meet  once 
more  before  the  great  oceans  should  separate  them 
again. 

"Tell  Beauchamp,"  the  chief  cried  after  them, 
"if  you  see  him,  that  he  too  is  too  late.  The  treas- 
ure is  gone." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ON  BOARD  THE  MARJORIE. 

Jim  had  a  restless  night.  He  was  sadly  dis- 
appointed with  himself,  that  he  should  have  so 
carelessly  allowed  his  enemies  to  triumph  over 
him.  He  could  not  imagine  for  what  purpose  he 
was  now  detained,  and  he  was  very  determined 
upon  seeking  an  early  opportunity  to  escape. 

In  the  circumscribed  quarters  of  the  brig  in 
which  he  was  confined,  he  could  move  about  but 
little.  There  was  a  small  port-hole,  but  far  too 
small  for  any  possibility  for  escape  through  the 
opening. 

The  night  was  hot  and  little  air  astir.  He 
gazed  purposelessly  through  the  porthole,  dozing 
anon  till  far  after  the  middle  of  the  night,  he  was 
aroused  to  active  interest  by  seeing  the  lights  of 
another  ship.  From  his  viewpoint,  the  harbor's 
opening  toward  the  sea  was  visible. 

There  was  commotion  now  over  his  head,  the 
running  about  of  sailors,  calling  the  captain  to 
236 


ON    BOARD    THE    MARJORIE  237 

the  deck.  The  mate  and  others  of  the  crew  all 
assembled  on  the  deck  above,  and  very  near  Jim's 
compartment. 

The  first  exultant  thought  in  Jim's  mind  was 
that  the  professor  with  the  Storm  King  had  come 
to  his  rescue.  The  more  logical  reasoning  deter- 
mined that  it  would  have  been  quite  impossible  to 
have  accomplished  any  such  result  in  so  short  a 
time.  Furthermore  such  a  move  would  have  been 
foolhardy  and  impractical.  No,  there  must  be 
some  other  explanation  to  be  sought. 

The  mysterious  arrival  was  puzzling  Captain 
Beauchamp  and  his  company,  who,  indeed,  took 
the  new  arrival  to  be  the  Storm  King.  This  Jim 
readily  determined  by  the  talk  of  those  leaning 
against  the  deck  rail. 

"Are  you  sure  that  no  lights  are  showing  be- 
low ?"    It  was  Beauchamp's  soft  voice. 

"There  are  no  lights  lit  on  board,  sir.  Your  or- 
ders were  that  none  should  show  in  this  harbor." 

"Then  they  can't  locate  us  in  the  dark.  Before 
dawn  have  all  the  guns  looked  over  and  every- 
thing made  in  readiness  for  an  attack." 

"Is  that  young  fellow  worth  lighting  for?" 
asked  the  mate. 

"I  thought  to  keep  him  while  we  looked  for  the 


238        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

cave,  and  his  party  don't  know  that  we  have  got 
him." 

"But  they  will  soon  find  out.  Any  one  of  those 
Frontier  Boys  can  follow  even  a  rabbit  trail." 

"So?  I  never  thought  of  that.  Well,  we  will 
make  a  dicker  with  them.  If  they  find  the  treas- 
ure, and  divide  fairly,  we  will .  Say,  it's  be- 
ginning to  rain.  Let's  get  under  cover.  When 
it  rains  here  it's  a  deluge." 

Jim  had  listened  interestedly  to  the  conversa- 
tion, and  was  cognizant  now  of  the  heavy  down- 
pour. 

"It  will  make  the  atmosphere  a  little  cooler," 
he  mused,  "but  it  will  also  wash  out  the  trial." 

With  the  first  geam  of  light,  the  storm  having 
ceased,  the  deck,  was  again  peopled  with  interested 
spectators,  and  Jim,  listening,  was  treated  to  a 
surprise  that,  figuratively  speaking,  nearly  took 
his  breath  away. 

"Say,  it  looks  like — what  do  you  make  it  out 
to  be,  Marion  ?" 

"It  looks  like— it  is,  the  Sea  Eagle." 

"The  Sea  Eagle,"  gasped  Jim,  in  a  barely  sup- 
pressed voice.  "Say,  but  what  queer  things  do 
he  ppen,"  and  once  more  a  breath  of  exultant  joy 
possessed  him.     Then  the  misery  of  his  situation 


ON    BOARD   THE   MARJORIE  239 

reasserted  itself.  Here  was  his  own  ship  near  at 
hand,  and  he  a  helpless  prisoner,  and  he  fairly 
raged  and  struck  the  cabin  door  with  impotent 
fury. 

Later  on,  as  the  light  increased,  he  was  able  to 
see  his  beloved  ship  clearly  outlined  against  the 
sky,  and,  closely  observant  of  all  that  transpired, 
he  saw  Broome  himself,  giving  directions  from 
the  bridge. 

Signals  were  evidently  exchanged  between  the 
two  ships,  for  later,  Broome  was  seen  to  enter  a 
small  boat  which  was  rowed  toward  the  Marjorie. 

Jim  had  nothing  to  do  for  a  while.  He  sur- 
veyed the  surface  of  the  bay  for  signs  of  break- 
ing fish,  or  the  splash  of  a  vagrant  water  bird, 
dreaming  of  the  possibilities  builded  on  the  hope 
of  repossessing  himself  of  the  Sea  Eagle. 

Then  again  came  the  sound  of  voices  on  deck. 
The  two  captains  were  in  conference. 

"A  big  storm,"  Jim  heard  Captain  Broome 
say.  "We  weathered  it  well,  but  the  Swedish 
bark  which  we  had  sighted  had  been  for  some 
time  in  distress,  could  not  stand  the  strain  and 
had  to  be  abandoned." 

"Then  you  have  all  the  crew  of  the  lost  shipt 
aboard?" 


240        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

"What  could  we  do  but  lend  a  hand?"  said  Cap- 
tain Broome  in  an  apologetic  tone,  as  if  deplor- 
ing the  necessity  for  an  ordinary  humanitarian 
act. 

"How  large  a  crew,  and  who  is  their  com- 
mander?" 

"A  dozen  of  the  beggars  and  blessed  with  ap- 
petities  that  are  insatiable.  Captain  ter  Tofte 
Luhrensen  was  in  command.  He  was  also  the 
owner  of  the  lost  vessel." 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do  with  them  ?" 

"Why  do  you  ask?"  was  Broome's  diplomatic 
response. 

"I  just  thought  you  might  have  in  mind  the 
leaving  of  the  crowd  on  this  island." 

"Well,  I  might,  if  you  wish  me  to." 

"And  I  just  don't  wish  it.  I  have  got  trouble 
enough  with  the  professor's  crew." 

"So  Featheringstone  is  here?  Has  he  located 
the  treasure?" 

"Not  yet.  Well,  there's  lots  of  things  to  talk 
over,  my  dear  Broome.  Let's  have  a  spread,  a 
feast.  Get  your  sister  and  her  husband,  and  we 
will  discuss  the  situation  over  a  bowl  of  punch." 

"I'm  with  you,  and  send  your  crew  over  to  the 
Sea  Eagle.    Let  them  have  a  jollification." 


ON    BOARD   THE   MARJORIE  241 

Jim  could  but  faintly  hear  their  voices  now,  for 
the  speakers  had  moved  aft.  He  had  noticed  one 
point  in  particular.  Beauchamp  had  never  re- 
ferred to  the  fact  that  a  prisoner  was  confined  on 
the  deck  beneath  him. 

Now,  to  Jim's  mind  came  the  insistent  need  to 
escape,  and  very  carefully  he  examined  every  sur- 
face, angle  and  crevice  of  his  prison.  All  this 
was  unavailing,  however.  Surely  it  was  a  hard 
fate  that  he  must  sit  there  so  helplessly.  His 
only  dependency  evidently  was  upon  help  to  come 
from  the  outside.  One  thing  he  determined  to  do, 
however.  When  the  door  of  his  cabin  was  opened 
for  any  purpose  he  would  make  a  break  for  lib- 
erty, and  fight  his  way,  if  need  be,  single-handed. 

But  if  breakfast  was  to  be  brought  to  him  to 
afford  this  needed  opportunity,  it  was  long  de- 
ferred. Three  hours,  he  estimated,  had  passed 
thus.  During  this  time  he  had  seen  Red  Annie 
and  her  husband  rowed  to  the  Marjorie.  The 
Swedes  in  a  long  boat  were  busily  occupied  in 
bringing  fresh  water  in  casks  from  the  shore  to 
the  Sea  Eagle,  and  on  board  the  latter  the  jolli- 
fication was  decidedly  in  progress  as  he  could 
both  see  and  hear. 

On  board  the  Marjorie,  all  was  quiet.  He  could 


242        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

occasionally  hear  the  murmur  of  voices,  but 
nothing  more.  Looking  just  now  toward  the 
Sea  Eagle  he  saw  that  the  combined  crews  of  the 
two  ships  were  manning  the  long  boat. 

There  was  scarcely  a  man  among  them  now 
who  could  be  regarded  as  moderately  sober.  The 
majority  were  immoderately  intoxicated.  They 
were  singing  ribald  songs  and  the  recitative,  be- 
tween the  melodies  was  composed  of  oaths  such 
as  Jim  had  never  heard.  The  men  in  the  long 
boat  did  not  succeed  in  getting  clear  of  the  Sea 
Eagle  without  some  violent  altercations,  first  with 
the  Swedes  and  then  among  themselves.  The  jo- 
vial songs  were  quickly  abandoned  in  favor  of 
yells  and  shouts  and  threats,  oars  were  freely  and 
indiscriminately  used,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a 
breaking  of  heads  all  around. 

'There  seems  to  be  a  regular  melee/'  thought 
Jim,  as  he  stood  by  the  porthole,  observing  the 
lively  scene.  He  watched  the  men  leap  from 
thwart  to  thwart  of  the  boat  and  make  for  one 
another  like  bulldogs.  Tie  thought  he  knew  ex- 
actly how  the  fight  would  end,  and  it  did  end 
precisely  as  he  anticipated. 

More  than  a  dozen  men  cannot  carry  on  a  naval 
engagement  of  that  sort  for  a  long  time  without 


ON    BOARD    THE    MARJORIE  243 

an  accident  of  some  kind,  and  no  one  had  reason 
to  be  surprised  when  an  unsteady  man,  balancing 
himself  on  an  unsteady  gunwhale,  to  strike  at  a 
particular  "friend"  with  a  heavy  oar,  failed  in  his 
aim,  and  went  headlong  into  the  water;  nor  was 
it  in  any  way  unnatural  or  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
gravitation  that  the  bow  of  the  boat  on  being  re- 
leased of  his  weight,  should  jump  up,  thereby 
interfering  with  the  man  who  was  balancing  him- 
self astern  and  sending  him  overboard  with  equal 
dispatch. 

Just  at  that  moment,  Jim  was  startled  by  a 
voice  close  beside  him,  for  he  had  had  no  intim?- 
tion  that  anyone  was  about.  Turning  quickly,  he 
discovered  that  a  small  panel  in  his  door  had  been 
slid  aside  and  a  plate  of  food  was  pushed  through 
and  into  his  extended  hands. 

Needless  to  say,  the  food  was  welcome,  but 
the  method  of  serving  dashed  away  the  hope  and 
pten  of  escape  he  had  had,  and  so  ardently  count- 
ed upon.  But  the  voice!  That  he  recognized 
as  familiar,  although  he  did  not  at  once  remem- 
ber to  whom  it  belonged.  Suddenly  he  knew.  It 
was  the  steward,  Pedro,  come  probably  to  mock 
him  in  his  captivity.  He  never  had  liked  the  man. 
His    unvarying    servilitude,    and    now    the    full 


244        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

knowledge  of  his  treachery  to  his  employer  thor- 
oughly awakened  all  his  ire. 

"I  have  brought  you  this  food." 

Jim  could  not  refrain  from  hissing  from  be- 
tween his  clenched  teeth,  "You  traitor!" 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


CONCLUSION. 


An  arduous  tramp  of  a  half  hour  brought  the 
professor  and  his  party  to  the  base  of  the  steep 
incline  that  led  to  their  objective  point.  Here 
they  halted  a  moment  for  a  rest  and  looked  about 
them.  The  side  of  the  cliff,  which  was  two  or 
three  hundred  feet  in  height,  was  heavily  wooded 
and  ran  upward  at  an  acute  angle,  but  with  sev- 
eral ledges  that  stretched  across  the  face  so  that 
an  assent  was  possible,  but  only  at  the  expense 
of  a  considerable  journey.  Steady  effort,  going 
from  one  ledge  to  another,  climbing  through  crev- 
ices and  around  projecting  barriers  finally 
brought  them  to  the  summit.  Here,  on  a  small 
open  space,  they  found  the  remains  of  the  fire 
which  had  been  the  source  of  the  column  of 
smoke,  the  embers,  notwithstanding  the  wetting 
they  had  had,  still  giving  out  a  little  vapor. 

"Well,  boys,  we  can  go  no  higher  except  by 
the  aid  of  the  branches  of  the  trees." 
245 


246        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

"I  was  considering  which  tree  to  climb/'  re- 
sponded Tom.  "That  one  on  the  point  is  the 
highest,  but  the  one  nearer  us  we  climbed  before 
and  is  the  easiest  to  get  up." 

"Let  it  be  the  highest,"  determined  the  pro- 
fessor. 

It  was  not  an  easy  task  they  had  undertaken,  as 
the  trees  were  several  feet  in  diameter,  without  a 
branch  for  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  base; 
but  the  boys,  with  the  aid  of  Berwick  and  the 
professor,  by  dint  of  clinging  like  flies  to  each 
little  projection  in  the  trunk,  managed  to  get  a 
hold  on  the  lower  branches  and  pull  themselves  up 
into  the  trees;  then  by  degrees  to  the  highest 
point  that  could  safely  be  reached. 

"Phew,"  said  Tom,  who  was  the  first  to  get 
to  a  place  where  he  could  look  off  over  the  sur- 
rounding country,  "what  do  you  think  of  that?" 

"What  is  it?"  panted  Jo. 

"Look  there!"  answered  Tom.  "Looks  as 
though  we  had  our  work  cut  out  for  us." 

"It  does  look  interesting,"  coincided  Jo,  who 
had  gotten  up  to  where  he  could  see  about. 

Away  off  to  the  south,  a  distance  of  about  five 
miles  in  a  small  harbor  lay  two  ships,  one  of 
which,  even  at  that  distance,  the  boys  had  no  dif- 


CONCLUSION.  247 

ficulty  in  recognizing  as  the  Marjory.  They  were 
riding  quietly  at  Anchor,  but  there  were  small 
boats  passing  to  and  fro  between  the  two  vessels 
and  the  shore. 

They  also  noted  that  the  mountains  extended 
to  the  south,  with  another  range  a  little  farther 
away,  beyond  which  the  ground  sloped  away  again 
down  to  a  nearly  level  plain,  which  ran  away  to 
the  water's  edge.  The  mountains  were  heavily 
wooded,  and  the  plains  or  more  level  surfaces,  as 
well.  To  the  east  the  mountains  appeared  to  ex- 
tend in  an  unbroken  range  to  the  shore. 

"Well,"  said  the  professor,  when  they  had 
climbed  down.     "What  did  you  find  out?" 

"The  Marjorie  is  off  there,"  replied  Tom. 

"And  another,  vessel,  too,"  added  Jo. 

"Humph!"  ejaculated  the  professor,  ''this 
doesn't  seem  to  be  any  place  for  us !" 

"But  what  about  Jim  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"Oh,  that's  another  matter,"  said  the  profes- 
sor, in  a  whimsical  way  he  had  when  confronted 
by  a  serious  problem.  "One  thing  at  a  time,  you 
know." 

"How  do  you  think  they  know  we  were  here  ! 
asked  Berwick. 


248        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

"I  have  it!"  cried  Tom,  excitedly,  "The 
smoke !" 

"What  about  it?"  said  Jo. 

"Why,  don't  you  see,"  responded  Tom.  "It 
was  a  signal." 

"Well,  suppose  it  was,  what  has  that  got  to 
do  with  them?" 

"Everything,"  replied  Tom.  "That  was  a  sign 
that  the  Storm  King  was  here." 

"But  who  did  it?"  persisted  Jo. 

"That  villain  of  a  steward,"  asserted  Tom. 
"You  know  that  someone  on  board  was  signalling 
to  the  Marjorie,  and  just  as  soon  as  we  got  in 
here  he  made  some  pretense  to  get  ashore." 

"Tom  is  right,"  agreed  Berwick. 

"I  knew  it  was  him,"  lamented  Tom,  "and  to 
think  we  let  him  get  away." 

"I  am  afraid  that  that  was  because  of  my  over- 
confidence,"  admitted  the  professor,  "but  I  was 
deceived  in  him.  He  had  been  to  the  South  Seas 
with  me,  you  know." 

"Well,  it  can't  be  helped  now,"  declared  Jo, 
philosophically.  "The  question  is,  what  is  the 
next  thing  to  do?" 

"Let  us  make  a  reconnoitre  down  by  the  harbor, 
and  see  what  we  can  find  out,"  suggested  Ber- 


CONCLUSION.  249 

wick.  "Perhaps  we  might  get  an  opportunity  to 
capture  a  prisoner  or  two  that  we  could  hold  as 
a  hostage  for  Jim." 

"That's  a  good  scheme,"  agreed  the  professor. 

"I  hope  we  can  get  a  hold  on  that  villain  of  a 
steward,"  cried  Tom,  vindictively. 

"Or  that  imp,  Manuel,"  added  Jo. 

"Don't  speak  of  him,"  remonstrated  Berwick. 
"It  is  like  a  premonition  of  evil  whenever  I  hear 
his  name." 

"Come  on,"  said  Tom,  picking  up  his  rifle. 
"The  sooner  we  get  there,  the  better." 

As  they  journeyed  toward  the  harbor,  the  pro- 
fessor related  to  the  others  the  facts  concerning 
his  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Jranvin,  now  the  chief 
of  Rarihue.  He  spoke  of  his  fine  character,  and 
recalled  his  long  struggle  with  adversity  because 
of  inherited  pulmonary  trouble. 

"And  do  you  really  believe  that  he  knows  about 
the  treasure  and  that  it  is  gone?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  believe  that  he  speaks  of  what  he  knows,  but 
I  think  it  not  unlikely  that  he  could  tell,  if  he 
would,  where  it  is  gone." 

"Then  is  our  venture  a  failure?" 

"Who  can  tell  ?  Anyway  we  shall  not  give  tip 
the  search." 


250        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

As  there  seemed  reasonable  assurance  that  they 
were  alone  in  the  forest,  they  advanced  rapidly 
and  exercised  no  special  caution  till  they  were 
nearing  the  harbor.  Approaching  the  fringe  of 
wood  near  the  water's  edge,  they  carefully  made 
their  way  to  a  point  where  an  unobstructed  view 
was  had  of  the  bay.  Tom  was  the  first  to  announce 
to  the  others  the  identity  of  the  other  vessel  they 
had  seen  from  the  tree  top. 

"By  all  that  is  wonderful !  If  there  isn't  the 
Sea  Eagle  just  moving  out  of  the  harbor I" 

'The  Sea  Eagle?  Well,  this  is  hard,"  said 
Jo.  "Just  to  arrive  in  time  to  see  her  sailing  away." 

"And  what  a  row  they  are  having  on  board 
the  Marjorie;  looks  like  a  regular  mutiny,"  cried 
Berwick. 

The  panorama  on  the  bay,  which  was  being  en- 
acted before  them,  was  one  of  startling  interest. 
What  had  happened  to  have  brought  the  now  dis- 
appearing Sea  Eagle  to  the  harbor  they  could  not 
determine,  but  disorder  and  confusion  was  ap- 
parent on  the  Marjory's  decks. 

"Captain  Beauchamp  is  not  to  be  seen,"  said  the 
professor.  "There  seems  to  be  merely  a  lot  of 
sailors,  and  it  looks  as  if  two  factions  were  con- 
tending for  the  mastery/' 


.    CONCLUSION.  251 

"Jim  is  not  there,"  said  Jo,  sadly.  "I  wonder 
what  has  become  of  him  ?" 

"Probably  he  is  still  a  prisoner,  and  we — hush ! 
There  is  somebody  moving  through  the  woods!" 

Some  one  was  approaching,  but  in  a  slow  and 
hesitating  manner,  yet  making  no  effort  at  con- 
cealment. 

"It  is  the  steward,"  whispered  Jo,  after  a  mo- 
ment. "Be  ready,  Tom,  we  will  get  him  for 
sure!" 

Absolutely  motionless  they  all  were  until  the 
steward  had  come  to  within  a  dozen  feet  of  where 
they  lay  hidden,  then,  as  he  turned  to  move  in 
another  direction,  Jo  and  Tom,  at  a  signal  from 
the  former,  sprang  to  their  feet  and  with  one 
bound  were  upon  their  intended  prisoner.  They 
bore  him  to  the  earth  and  held  him  secure,  while 
Berwick  quickly  bound  his  hands  behind  his  back. 

Greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all,  the  steward  of- 
fered no  resistance  and  made  no  effort  whatever 
to  escape.  He  hung  his  head  on  seeing  whom  his 
captors  were  and  looked  like  a  man  suffering  ab- 
jectly. 

"Quick,  you  villain,"  cried  Jo,  grasping  his 
arm.     "Where  is  my  brother?" 


252        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Without  hesitation  came  the  answer,  "He  is 
quite  safe.     He  has  escaped." 

"How  can  we  know?" 

The  steward  looked  only  at  the  professor  and 
for  answer  said,  "May  I  speak  with  you  alone  for 
a  moment  ?" 

"Certainly  not.  Say  openly  what  you  have  to 
say,"  was  the  answer. 

"I  think,"  interposed  Berwick,  "I  would  grant 
his  request.  "It  can  do  no  harm." 

The  boys  and  Berwick  separated,  each  taking  a 
few  steps  in  different  directions  so  as  to  prevent 
any  possible  attempt  at  escape. 

The  two  thus  left  alone,  although  under  close 
observation,  conversed  earnestly  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  then  the  professor  called  the  others  to- 
gether. 

"It  is  a  deplorable  matter,"  said  the  professor. 
"This  man  is  deserving  of  condemnation  and  of 
punishment.  He  has  been  a  traitor  to  our  cause, 
but  he  admits  fully  his  crime  and  wants  to  atone 
in  any  way  he  can.  Jim,  he  says,  was  confined  on 
board  the  Marjorie,  but  he  himself  helped  him  to 
escape  and  he  believes  that  Jim  is  now  safe  and 
sound,  probably  by  this  time  on  board  the  Storm 
Kin?." 


CONCLUSION.  253 

"How  can  we  be  sure  of  that?"  Jo  asked. 

"We  have  only  this  man's  word,  and  in  a  sense 
his  word  is  valueless,  but  he  can  go  with  us  and 
we  can  deal  with  him  accordingly,  if  he  tells  not 
the  truth." 

"What's  happening  on  the  Marjorie?"  asked 
Berwick. 

The  steward  did  not  know.  He  told  of  liber- 
ating Jim,  who  had  gotten  into  the  Sea  Eagle's 
dory,  and  had  ordered  the  two  Swedes  who 
manned  the  oars,  and  who  of  course  did  not  know 
him,  to  row  him  ashore.  The  steward,  filled  with 
remorse  for  his  treachery  to  the  professor,  had 
later  swam  to  the  land  and,  uncertain  what  to  do, 
now  really  welcomed  his  capture. 

"We  will  leave  your  fate  to  later  consideration," 
said  the  professor,  "and  if  Jim  is  not  found  on 
board,  it  will  go  hard  with  you." 

The  other  made  no  protest  to  this  decision  and 
promptly  they  undertook  the  return  journey  to 
their  ship. 

Every  precaution  was  taken  to  prevent  the  es- 
cape of  the  steward,  but  he  made  no  effort  in  that 
direction.  He  walked  with  bowed  head,  misery 
in  his  face  and  manner. 

Fully  two  thirds  of  their  return  journey  had 


254         FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

been  accomplished  when  they  were  startled  by  the 
sound  of  three  long  blasts  from  the  Storm  King 
whistle.     What  new  danger  might  protend? 

Onward  now  they  pressed  with  the  utmost 
speed,  and  arriving  at  the  water's  edge  they  saw 
the  welcome  sight  of  the  Storm  King  riding  safely 
at  anchor,  and  recognized  two  familiar  figures  on 
the  bridge.  Jim  was  one,  safe  and  sound  to  all 
appearances,  and  the  other  Jranvin,  the  Rarihue 
chief. 

Another  sight  greeted  their  eyes.  It  was  two 
long,  rakish  crafts,  manned  by  many  dusky 
islanders  which  lay  peacefully  enough  along  side 
the  big  ship. 

In  a  brief  interval  all  were  on  board  and  explan- 
ations were  in  order.  Jim  was  uproariously  wel- 
comed and  quickly  told  his  story,  which  brought 
astonishment  to  the  ears  of  his  listeners.  Briefly 
this  was  his  tale :  The  steward  had  unlocked  his 
door  and  paved  the  way  for  his  escape,  but  Jim 
had  not  rowed  ashore.  He  had  observed  the  con- 
tending factions  of  the  two  ships,  who  having 
rescued  from  the  water  those  who  had  fallen  over- 
board from  the  long  boat,  for  the  nonce  fra- 
ternized and  were  bent  on  a  visit  to  the  Marjorie 
for  further  orgies  and  liberations. 


CONCLUSION.  255 

Noting  the  absence  of  Broome's  men  from  the 
decks  of  the  Sea  Eagle,  Jim  had  quickly  changed 
his  plan.  He  had  ordered  his  two  oarsmen  to  row 
him  to  that  vessel.  On  the  deck  he  had  found  only 
the  Swedes  and  their  commander,  Captain  Luh- 
rensen.  Boarding  the  ship,  Jim  had  said :  "I  am 
the  owner  of  this  boat." 

It  was  an  astonishing  declaration,  but  Jim  drew 
from  his  pocket  papers  which  bore  out  his  asser- 
tion, and  he  soon  won  to  his  standard  the  ship- 
wrecked commander,  and  with  him,  of  course, 
went  his  crew.  At  once  the  ship  had  been  gotten 
under  way.  Broome  and  his  crew  were  all  en 
board  the  Marjorie.  It  was  evident  that  Beau- 
champ  and  Broome  and  other  officers  were  secure- 
ly imprisoned  in  the  Marjorie  cabin  while  the 
sailors  were  discussing  with  more  or  less  forceful 
animation  their  next  move. 

Jim,  with  the  decks  of  his  beloved  Sea  Eagle 
once  more  beneath  his  feet,  had  made  all  speed 
under  sail  and  steam  to  the  entrance  of  the  har- 
bor where  lay  the  Storm  King,  and  had  come 
aboard  to  report  his  safety  and  the  successful  out- 
come of  his  venture. 

One  startling  tale  had  scarcely  been  assimulated 
when  another  was  offered  for  their  consederation. 


256        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

The  chief  of  Rarihue  stepped  forward  and  em- 
bracing the  professor,  said :  "You  remember  this 
morning  I  told  you  that  the  treasure  for  which 
you  sought  had  gone?  It  is  gone  from  the  cave 
in  which  you  hoped  to  find  it.  But  I  will  tell  you 
now,  I  am  the  present  possessor." 

"Then  I  congratulate  you  most  heartily,"  re- 
sponded the  professor.  "May  you  live  long  and 
enjoy  it." 

The  chief  shook  his  head,  smiling  the  while. 
"I  may  find  use  for  a  little  of  this  wealth,"  he 
said,  "and  I  am  going  to  ask  you,  my  dear  friend, 
to  take  it  back  with  you." 

"I  will  most  gladly  do  your  bidding." 

"And  fairly  rewarded  you  shall  be.  I  can  trust 
you  and  I  like  the  looks  of  your  associates."  Say- 
ing this,  he  walked  to  the  gunwale  and  called  in 
their  native  tongue  to  the  occupants  in  the  boats. 

Upon  his  order,  many  bags  of  woven  grass, 
their  contents  of  considerable  weight,  were  hoisted 
aboard. 

"Ten  per  cent  of  what  this  realizes,  and  I  think 
there  is  value  to  a  quarter  of  a  million,  I  want  de- 
posited to  my  credit  in  the  Bank  of  England.  I 
may  never  call  for  it,  but  all  the  remainder  is 
yours" 


X 

CONCLUSION.  257 

"Hurrah  for  the  chief  of  Rarihue !"  cried  Tom, 
and  a  right  ringing  cheer  was  given. 

"And  now,"  said  Jim,  "we  must  not  tarry 
here.  Professor,  you  have  won  out  and  do  not 
need  me  any  longer.  I  have  my  Sea  Eagle  and 
her  papers  indent  her  to  Cuba.  With  Captain 
ter  Tofte  Luhrensen  as  sailing  master,  tp  Cuba 
she  shall  go." 

To  Cuba  the  Sea  Eagle  did  go,  as  those  inter- 
ested in  the  fortunes  of  the  Frontier  Boys  may 
learn  in  a  volume  to  follow,  "The  Frontier  Boys 
in  Cuba." 

"You  are  released,  albeit  with  reluctance," 
slowly  answered  the  professor,  "and  my  thanks 
for  your  valued  aid.  Your  share  of  our  success 
will  be  deposited  in  the  Bank  of  America,  New 
York,  against  your  homecoming." 

"And  whom  can  you  spare  to  go  with  me,  and 
who  wants  to  go  to  fight  for  freddom's  cause?" 

Jo  and  Juarez  were  quickly  by  his  side  and 
with  less  alacrity,  Tom  joined  them.  All  looked 
at  Berwick. 

"Mine  for  a  quiet  life,"  said  that  worthy,  laugh- 
ing.    "I  shall  stay  by  the  professor." 

A  word  more  as  to  the  steward.  After  careful 
consideration  and  a  talk  with  Mr.  Jranvin,  he  was 


258        FRONTIER  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

left  with  the  islanders.  He  deserved  punishment, 
but  his  belated  renunciation  of  his  evil  ways  and 
his  helpfulness  to  Jim  were  taken  into  account. 

As  Jim  had  said,  there  was  no  time  to  be  wasted, 
and  within  an  hour  adieux  had  been  said,  and  the 
two  ships  were  steaming  in  absolutely  diverse  di- 
rections, the  one  to  San  Francisco  and  the  other  to 
Cuba. 

THE  END. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

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